Thawing of a Christmas Heart
by mybrowneyes
Summary: AU.  Can the meaning of Christmas reach Ranger caught in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve?
1. Chapter 1

_What is JE's is JE's. What is mine is mine. I'm only borrowing. This is a short Christmas story. I had chapters of my other stories almost all complete and my computer caught a virus via my daughter playing downloading some games, so I lost them all. I'm wracking my brain rewriting and needed a short break. thanks so much. Lee Anne_

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

"Dismissed," he said quickly addressing the group of men he returned to their starting point in Fort Stewart only to grab his Army duffel to catch a waiting plane heading straight to DC to file his report and meet with his superiors. The target was eliminated and this unrecorded mission was a success. He brought his handful of men back with only a few minor injuries.

"Merry Christmas, Major," a couple men called after him and he just waved his hand. The departing leader never fully realized the holiday was almost upon them. It was quite the opposite of the cheering men he just left wishing each a 'Happy Holidays' anxious to be with their families. He had only his company to go home to and a rag-tag band of friends who worked for it.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Well done, Major," the General with a number of stars on his uniform told him closing the file he had read. 'I'm going to get out of here before everything shuts down."

"What do you mean, General?" Carlos 'Ranger' Manoso, the owner of Rangeman Security and number one government secret operative, asked.

"It's Christmas Eve and its snowing. Airports are shutting down along the East Coast and Mid-West. Highways are being closed. Don't you listen to the weather?"

He shook his head and the dark ponytail that was a part of his normal Ranger uniform brushed his neck. "I've been out of the country for a few months and busy typing your report." His tone was dry glancing out the window seeing heavy snow coming down wondering how he was getting back to Trenton.

"If I was you, I'd just spend the holiday in DC because you're not flying more than likely."

Giving a very definite shake of his head. "No." He hated DC. If he couldn't fly, then Ranger would rent a car to get his weary ass back to his warm, quiet apartment on the seventh floor of his company building. Christmas was just another work day for him. Ranger couldn't even remember the last time he celebrated the holiday with his family, but he didn't worry himself over it. Ella, his Rangeman housekeeper, would have sent gifts to his parents for him and to the number of nieces and nephews he lost count of in the Manoso family.

General Schaeffer stood up and extended his hand. "Merry Christmas, Carlos."

"Merry Christmas, General," he replied shaking hands.

His long wool coat was on and his hat was on his head, the superior ranking officer was gone. Ranger slipped the deposit slip into his wallet never looking to see if the agreed amount for his expert services was actually paid. He knew it was and he earned every penny of it.

Stepping out of the conference room, he could hear voices down the hallway. He walked in the direction of the animated tones dressed in his camouflage fatigues and black boots. A television screen on the wall was showing stranded travelers at 'Reagan National Airport' because of cancelled flights.

"Those poor people stuck on Christmas Eve," a woman remarked. "This storm is worse than anyone expected."

Someone else stated a fact. "The hotels will be busting at the seams."

That brought Ranger back to the situation at hand; he was definitely driving if he could still get a rental vehicle. Dialing quickly, he reached the hotel he had checked out of earlier. "Connect me with the car rental office. This is Major Manoso." He would use his rank if it got him transportation faster to Trenton. "I need a vehicle. Preferably a SUV to drive to Trenton. I am aware of the weather and it is Christmas Eve. I need to get to Trenton. I'll take it."

He slipped into the backseat of the Army car dropping his bulky duffel beside him on the seat instructing the driver who brought him to the Pentagon earlier, "Take me back to my hotel."

It took some patience and steady driving but finally Ranger was walking through the lobby making a right to enter the backdoor of the rental office. It was anything but empty on Christmas Eve, just like the lobby with people trying to get home or find a warm place to sit out the snow storm.

"Can I help you, Sir?" the manager asked indicating for the soldier who strode into the room with 'do not mess with me' authority written all over his face. It was arrogance, but the manager termed it slightly kinder.

Ranger walked up to the counter, he never glanced at the other customers along the tall wooden desk. "Major Manoso. I called earlier and reserved a SUV." He pushed his Army identification, insurance, and black credit card across the top.

"Yes, Sir. You were extremely fortunate, Major. You reserved one of our last SUV's. We have a white Santa Fe waiting with a full tank."

His jaw set. Ranger would have preferred a luxury model, but would take what he could get at this point. Also, the couple with two crying children trying to arrange transportation was nerve wracking. "Fine," he said through tight lips signing the credit card receipt. He grabbed the keys, picked up his duffel, and turned around just as the young man wished him a "Merry Christmas and a safe drive."

"You too," Ranger said over his shoulder going the way he came to the small gift and snack shop off the lobby. He was a trained soldier so he would need provisions if he got stuck for any period of time in this weather. He picked up granola bars, two pouches of nutty trail mix, bananas, three shiny red apples, and a very large cup of coffee for his trip. He pulled two bottles of water out of the cooler to finish off his healthy 'snacks' for the trip ahead of him.

"Is that it?" the small woman at the cash register asked. She was about the age and height of his Cuban mother. It was the first time in weeks he actually thought of his mother or family. "We're having a special on 'PEZ' candies for Christmas. They make excellent stocking stuffers."

"What?" Ranger asked. He noticed a container on the check-out of Santas, snowmen, reindeer heads perched on plastic sticks. "Sure, give me a few." If it got him out of there faster he would buy them all. For some reason a package beside it caught his eye in crinkled cellophane with a ribbon at the top. It had small bottles of green Mojito bath gel and spray he read on the label. Mojito was a standard Cuban scent with limes. He pushed that towards his things, then handed the cashier his credit card. He'd give it to mother the next time he visited. The last time was probably over two years ago, he didn't have time with his security company, Rangeman.

The purchases went inside his duffel with a few items of clothing hiding the arsenal of hand weapons he carried on him for his security work. Being in the Pentagon, he didn't think he needed to be fully armed.

The street in front of the hotel was snow covered with the falling flakes and some slushy ruts. A snow plow went past before he pulled out of the lot heading for I-95 to drive north. Buckling his seat belt, Ranger settled behind the wheel of the white vehicle. He only drove black ones because they blended and were less memorable. By the time he made it to the interstate, his coffee cup was half empty. The slow progress was trying, but he was a patient man. He learned that from his many years in the Rangers.

The snow fell heavier as he drove north and east. The wipers at times could barely keep the windshield clear. The radio that he had on kept listing closings and telling him it was snowing. He would never have guessed.

"Fuck!" The announcer just announced portions of I-95 were being shut down.

He had to swerve the SUV to miss an abandoned car barely off the roadway. "Get off the road!" He decided to stay on 95 until he had to get off and find an alternate route.

His kidneys decided they needed relief at the rest stop the SUV was approaching so he carefully steered it off the covered highway and into the packed parking lot full of trucks, cars, and a few RV's The inside was crowded and there were just as many people in their vehicles trying to stay warm. The wind had picked up and drifts were forming in a few places. The aroma of warm bread from the 'Subway' caught his nose reminding him of his mother's bread she made when he was younger growing up. That was the second time of the day he thought of her and immediately shook it out of his head. He must be getting sentimental as he approached thirty and that could get him killed in his line of work.

The toasted turkey sub hit the spot sitting in the running SUV having eaten breakfast early. He was glad he bought it having heard someone say the restaurant was running low on some things just as the burger place in the rest stop. The vending machines were pretty wiped out Ranger noticed walking by them. He saw the worried, stranded people all around him, but he really didn't and wouldn't until he was one of them.

The progress was even slower and the Cuban man was glad he put more gas in the SUV before starting out again. The day was becoming the afternoon when he finally reached the Delaware state line. Snow was still coming down and it was difficult he saw for the plows to keep on top of it. Barely able to make out the road sign which indicated Wilmington was ten miles ahead. He wasn't even going twenty miles an hour in this weather and wouldn't reach Trenton until well into the evening. On a good day, he could make this drive in a little over two hours driving his Turbo.

He came upon something dark in the blinding snow. It was a car that was stuck; he turned the wheel to avoid it and a person beside it. "FUCK!" The Santa Fe skidded and he couldn't get it back under control as it barreled through snow along the road. It was flying around Ranger until the front bumper plowed into something stopping the SUV. On reflex, he grabbed the knife on his hip to deflate the air bag that began filling the front. Once it deflated, Ranger shook his head and was able to move his limbs when he tested them. Knowing it was useless but he did it anyway, he put the SUV in reverse. The tires just spun.

He grabbed his green Army jacket to check the damage to the vehicle. The driver's side tire was flat and the front end was smacked into a white blanketed tree trunk.

"Fucking Great!" he yelled kicking the tire hard enough that his toes hurt in his heavy black boots. He was thinking he should have stayed in Washington, DC.

"You're not moving," he told the SUV shutting it off. He zipped up his coat flinging the heavy camo bag over his shoulder; he took the keys out of the ignition, and decided to leave it unlocked in case it got towed. Trying his cell phone that was on the floor, it was dead. Somehow it got smashed a little when the SUV went out of control. "FUCK!" he muttered. "Let's go, Manoso. You've been in worse."

At that moment the wind picked up and snow was blowing around him. He was slipping in the tracks made by the tires making his way up the slight embankment. Freezing to death in the snow pile was looking quite attractive.

Ranger began hiking in the direction of Wilmington with his hands deep in his coat pockets. No cars, trucks, buses, or even a Santa sleigh passed the dark figure. He passed abandoned vehicles one after another.

"Where are you going?" two college guys asked rolling down a window in an old Fiesta that was stopped.

"How the hell did that thing get this far?" he wondered. "Wilmington." It was the only word he spoke as he kept moving with his head down. The brim of his Army cap wasn't keeping the snow out of his eyes.

The two guys in hooded sweatshirts and vests ran after Ranger. "Why?"

"I'm not freezing."

They got into step behind him. He estimated that they walked about a mile when he saw flashing lights reflecting in the white snow. It was a dark blue Tahoe with a state police emblem approaching from behind. The officer in the passenger seat yelled out the window, "Are any of you from the white Santa Fe in the snow?"

Ranger answered, "Me."

"Are you hurt?"

"No," he said with an expression that gave the officer the impression that was a dumb question. If he was, he wouldn't be out strolling in a blizzard.

The large SUV stopped and all three had to brush the white flakes covering them before getting into the warm vehicle. In the rear seat was a couple wrapped in a blanket with two young girls.

The policeman driving spoke up. "St. Agnes Church basement is the closest warming center and we'll take you there."

"Is there a hotel near there?" Ranger questioned figuring his best option now was to ride out the storm in a hotel or motel room.

The two law officials made eye contact and the first one said 'Good Luck. We have this snowstorm closing down the Midwest to the Atlantic Coast. There are areas with no electricity, stuck travelers, and the families visiting together for the holiday. People are filling up all the rooms they can locate in a blink of an eye."

"Fuck! Fuck!" He said to himself. The mother was trying to comfort her daughters saying Santa would find them.

The driver asked, "Army?"

"Major with the Rangers."

It seemed to take forever. Glancing at his watch, Ranger calculated he had been on the road almost seven hours with approximately another 50 miles to arrive in Trenton. The normal drive was less than three hours.

He heard the shifter click into park finally making it to the church warming center.

"Let's get all of you inside," the trooper in the passenger seat opened the back door.

Through the blowing snow, Ranger could see an older brick church walking across the parking lot. Gentlemen and teens were trying to stay ahead of the falling wet stuff with snow blowers, brooms, and shovels. It was the cleanest pavement he had seen since leaving DC.

When the side door was opened, they were greeted with singing. And warmth.

"I hope the church gets to hold Christmas Eve service," one officer told the band of cold people, "the choir has been practicing for days."

Ranger really didn't care about a bunch of singing people at the moment.

They followed the two officials down creaking stairs to be greeted by a tall thin priest. "Welcome to St. Agnes," he happily greeted the stragglers. The large room was filled with quite a number of people sitting at tables. Old, young children, babies, couples. They were all seeking to get out of this blasted weather! Someone was handing them blankets if they wanted one. Ranger waved it off; he wanted to get out of the wet camouflage pants at least. "I'm Father Francis."

"Are there any hotels with rooms available?" Carlos Manoso snapped at the old priest. He did not want to have to claim a spot in the church basement to spend his night.

"Son, if the church had a dollar for every time someone asked that same question tonight, this would be a rich one. The few hotels in this end of town are full and roads are closed. Only authorized people are to be out." Father Francis saw the soldier's irritation at his response flash across his face and disappear resigning himself to his circumstances. "God has brought you to our humble stable on this Christmas Eve."

He shook is head hoping to get those words out of his head. "Can I change out of these wet clothes?" He wanted to forget the holiday and every other one; they were just days on the calendar.

"The bathrooms are in the hall," the priest pointed towards a long coat rack full of coats.

Stripping off his wet pants, Ranger was glad to see his clothes were dry in his Army bag, he slipped on his jeans, dry socks, and a black turtleneck. He was chilled to the bone, but felt the heat of the church beginning to thaw him out.

Splashing hot water on his cold face and hands helped.

Father Francis was standing by a wooden folding chair indicating for the man now in street clothes to occupy. Ranger dropped his duffel on the floor before taking a seat.

"Where are you headed, Son?"

"Trenton. I'm trying to get to my company there." He actually wanted to be left alone, but didn't want to be rude to Father Francis. "Carlos Manoso," Ranger introduced himself and extended his hand.

The priest was surprised by his answer. A business, not family. "Don't you have family waiting for you on Christmas Eve? A wife, Carlos?"

Ranger was slightly perturbed by his prying questions. "No, I haven't seen my family in a couple of years and my life doesn't lend itself to relationships. My security business and government work fill my days. Holidays are like any other day for me."

"So cynical, Carlos, for one so young. I hope the goodness of Christmas thaws that heart of yours. It's a magical time. Please, make yourself comfortable and I hope you will come upstairs to enjoy our Christmas Eve service tonight."

The decision to decline the kind priest's offer was stopped when he found himself staring into the most gorgeous blue eyes he ever saw.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Previous:**_

"So cynical, Carlos, for one so young. I hope the goodness of Christmas thaws that heart of yours. It's a magical time. Please, make yourself comfortable and I hope you will come upstairs to enjoy our Christmas Eve service tonight."

The decision to decline the kind priest's offer was stopped when he found himself staring into the most gorgeous blue eyes he ever saw.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Ah, Stephanie, you brought our snowy traveler something hot," the compassionate priest commented to the young woman helping at the church despite having spent a portion of her day working in a beauty salon.

She smiled at the priest lighting up her face. "He might be hungry." Placing the tray down, she set a hot, steaming plate of chicken and dumplings in front of Ranger. A mug of coffee and silverware wrapped in a paper napkin with a smiling snowman he noticed completed the place setting. On a side plate were two slices of pumpkin bread, he picked up the cinnamon scent, along with sugar and creamer for the hot drink.

"This is Carlos, Stephanie. Carlos, this is one of our angels here, Stephanie."

"Hello and thank you," was all he could say. Her face was surrounded by a mass of brunette curls. He couldn't stop looking at her blue eyes.

"Enjoy it." She turned to the priest. "I better go get Reilley ready to be a shepherd." Stephanie began to walk away and turned around. "Merry Christmas."

Handing the tray to an older woman, she was kneeling talking with a small boy who was eagerly nodding his head.

"She works so hard to provide a good life for her son," Father Francis told him noticing the Army soldier was watching Stephanie. Since walking in the door, his face didn't appear so hard and cold.

Ranger glanced at the priest. "What does she do?" She was slim and jeans she wore were faded and worn. The denim shirt with an appliquéd snowman over a blue turtle neck wasn't new he could tell. It had a slight washed out appearance also.

"Stephanie is a hair stylist. We have a number of our parishioners who are shut-ins; she'll cut their hair for them on her days off. They so greatly appreciate it. Excuse me, Carlos."

A fireman was motioning for the priest. He looked a little anxious and Ranger wondered what was up now. While the priest was speaking with him, more cold and marooned families had shown up coming through the church doors.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Mommy, do I look like a shepherd?" The little boy with blue eyes to match his mother's asked as she straightened his green head scarf adjusting the band to hold it in place. He was so excited to be in the Christmas program. His costume was a shortened blue graduation robe her next-door Miss Fitch tailored for Reilly. She found it at the 'Goodwill Store' near the salon where she worked. Miss Fitch was a retired Sunday school teacher; she was mugged a few years earlier and too afraid to leave her row house after it. She befriended Stephanie and her baby when she moved from Trenton after losing her job with a department store. The plain blue robe had wide Tartan ribbon sewn down along the zipper and the ends of the wide sleeves. A silver cord for a sash completed his herding outfit. Stephanie didn't have a lot of extra money to spend on his costume and her neighbor did a wonderful job sprucing it up. He was so proud of it.

She couldn't help the tears in the corners of her eyes. "Yes, you do, Reilley."

With the snow storm that closed the roads, she and her son would have to spend Christmas in Wilmington by themselves. They couldn't drive to Trenton to spend it with her family tomorrow. She saved the few paid vacation hours she had accumulated to use for the holiday and scheduled extra hours for the extra money before it so she could afford to go 'home' to Trenton. She was glad she had it, because she bought a small ham to make for their dinner when their visit had to be postponed until the roads were open and drivable. She did splurge buying a large container of homemade rice pudding from the deli for dessert. Her little four-year old boy loved it. It wouldn't be the feast at her parent's but it would be enough for them and to give Miss Fitch a dinner plate since she would be alone. Adding mashed potatoes, green beans, Cole slaw, which was another favorite of Reilly's, and crescent rolls. Christmas dinner wouldn't be complete without those. Dessert would be the rice pudding and sugar cookies they made. Stephanie intended it to be a good Christmas for them.

'Stephanie," Father Francis said stepping into the small Sunday school room where the children were getting ready. "My, don't you make a handsome shepherd, Reilley."

He smiled broadly, "Thanks, Father Francis."

"Is there a problem?" She was hoping the Christmas Eve service wouldn't be cancelled. Reilley practiced his two lines all the time.

"St. Agnes has so many stranded and people displaced from their homes. The Fire Department is setting up cots downstairs and at the station for them, but there are so many. What I'm about to ask is quite unusual. The soldier downstairs that you brought food to, would you allow him to spend Christmas with you and Reilley? He's so cold and cynical. Christmas to him is just another day. Maybe seeing it through the eyes of a child and some kindness will warm his heart."

She was shocked. This was a total stranger to invite into her home. On the other side of the coin, it was Christmas and he was a soldier far from his home.

The priest added. "I know you are missing your family in Trenton and that is where he was headed. He told me his business was there. So, you would have that in common."

The proper 'Burg' girl manners wouldn't let her say 'No' and if he was from Trenton maybe he could tell her about what was going on. "What do you think, Rye? Should we share Christmas with him?"

Her son's innocent blue eyes looked up. 'Sure, Mommy. I hope Santa finds him at our house."

"I'm sure he will." Stephanie tried not to show a slight panic. If there wasn't anything under the Christmas tree for him, Reilley might question his belief in Santa Claus, she didn't want to take that away from her son.

"Let's go introduce you to him, Reilley."

The little boy ran to get his crook. Stephanie whispered to Father Francis. 'Is there anything left in the church store? I want to have at least something small for our guest. I don't want Reilley to think Santa missed him."

"There are still some items on the shelves."

Hopefully she would find something. She also had a black and grey scarf she knitted that didn't sale at the salon. A few of her regular customers asked their stylist to knit them like she did the previous Christmas. She made a few extras and this was the only one left. The extra money paid for the race track and a few other gifts Reilley asked Santa to bring for this year that were a little over her budget.

The stranded soldier was sitting in the same spot, his dinner plate cleared away, and his face covered by his hands leaning back in the wooden chair.

"Carlos," Father Francis said softly thinking he might be asleep and didn't want to startle him.

He sat up seeing the priest, the young woman with the beautiful blue eyes, and the small boy with her eyes dressed like a miniature shepherd. "Yes, Father," he said standing up straight like he was trained.

"This is Reilley, Stephanie's son, and our number one shepherd tonight."

The tall man nodded. "Hello." Ranger wasn't sure why he was being introduced to the small boy.

"Reilley, this is Carlos and he is in the Army," the priest explained.

Out of habit, Ranger corrected, "Rangers."

The little boy's eyes got big. "An Army Power Ranger! Mommy, he's a Power Ranger! What color are you? I have blue Power Ranger jammies!" He was speaking fast in his excitement.

The idea of the little boy thinking he was a Power Ranger made him chuckle. It was the first time all day and in quite a long while. He wasn't going to correct the young boy. "I normally wear black." It was true, his company shirts were black and he usually wore black cargos.

The animated little boy looked up at his mother. "Mommy, a black Power Ranger! That's great!"

She saw the quick shake of the man's head indicating for her to go along with the mix-up. "Yes, it is, Rye."

"Carlos, let me explain something before I have to go get ready for the Christmas Eve service. We are quite full here and so is the firehouse down the street with guests for the night. Many of them are families. Stephanie and Reilley are offering to open their home so you have a comfortable place to sleep tonight. The state of emergency closing the roads will probably go through Christmas."

"We would be honored," Stephanie said with sincerity, "to have you. Because of you protecting our country, we have freedom to do what we want."

Ranger was stunned. He was a complete stranger to them and they to him. He had reconciled himself to finding a corner to recline against to weather the snow storm for the night. Tomorrow would be another thing. More cold and hungry people kept coming into the church basement. "You're sure about this? I'm a stranger." He couldn't believe people still did something like this. He didn't know anyone who would do it he thought. He was a scary Bad Ass around Trenton.

"It's Christmas," the blue eyed woman told him. "Besides if you get out of line, our cat, Pudding, will bite you." She eyes twinkled as she laughed.

"Pudding?" Ranger questioned.

The little shepherd boy explained, "I like pudding."

"He has butterscotch and chocolate patches," his mother elaborated.

He nodded understanding the connection.

"I have to go get a seat upstairs and take Reilley to the practice room." Stephanie offered her Christmas guest, "If you decide to come upstairs for the Christmas Eve service, you are more than welcome to sit with me."

He hadn't planned on it, but found he was nodding. "Thank you. I'm going to splash some water on my face."

"Look for our blue coats."

After taking a few pictures of her shepherd son with the other children, Stephanie hurried to the church store. She didn't have much money in her pocket, but hoped at least to find a couple of small gifts for 'Santa' to leave for Carlos. St. Agnes had a small gift store selling items mostly for children to buy gifts for family and a collection of books to browse through. A few of the stranded people had wandered in before the Christmas Eve service. She picked out a mug with an evergreen and a moose painted on it. It was a very rustic design fitting the image she perceived of Carlos. There was a pair of black fleece gloves in large. Only three pairs were remaining hanging on a peg. Something on a wire display made her smile. There was a keychain with a tiny, plastic, blue Power Ranger figure attached. She hoped the 'stuck' man had a sense of humor. Sitting on a shelf was a crossword puzzle book Stephanie added to her few purchases.

Walking back to the pew she selected, Stephanie found Carlos sitting there quietly glancing around at the old stained glass windows, painted cardboard stable for the program, and red Poinsettias around the pulpit which was lit with candles. More were flickering inside the windows.

"For an old church, it's simple and Christmas," she remarked.

Ranger nodded agreeing. "Thank you."

Stephanie's blue eyes were watching him.

"I expected to find a corner downstairs to make myself uncomfortable," he stated with no emotion in his voice.

"I feel bad that you are away from your family on Christmas."

He shrugged his shoulders and gave a twitch of a frown making it no big deal. "There's no one expecting me. Just an empty apartment and employees."

"Oh." Stephanie felt sorry for him now. He was very attractive and muscular, but he was alone and stranded there.

The organist began playing and everyone stood to sing 'Come All Ye Faithful', the first song listed on the program.

"Welcome," Father Francis greeted the full church walking down the center aisle. "Merry Christmas and thank you for coming to our Christmas Eve Service."

Coming quietly down the aisle behind him was a young girl as Mary being pulled on a rolling bench decorated with a donkey head and tail pulled by Joseph.

"Tonight is that glorious night we celebrate. May the wonder touch everyone here and far away."

Stepping out were three shepherds led by a small Reilley with a flock of children wearing lamb hats. "Look!" He pointed to the small balcony at the back of the church. "Who is that?"

On the small overhead balcony was a young girl dressed as the angel telling them not to be afraid.

"Who us? What do you have to tell us?" he said his second line perfectly.

Stephanie got out of her seat taking pictures of her son. Her parents would enjoy them.

After telling the shepherds and sheep about the baby born in Bethlehem under the big yellow cardboard star that was raised, the shepherds and their flock traveled around the outer edge of the sanctuary. The star stuck, but a father in the front gave it a good tug and it went up for the young shepherd working it. Reilley waved saying 'Hi Mommy' as he passed Stephanie's pew. Ranger was chuckling like the church.

At the end of the service, Stephanie's son came running to his mother's arms, "Was I a good shepherd?"

"The best, Reilley," she said kissing him.

"I'm wearing my shepherd's robe home so Miss Fitch can see."

"OK," his mother concurred holding up his coat, he slipped his arms inside to be zipped up.

He looked up at the tall man putting on his green Army coat. "Santa Claus is coming tonight!"

"That's what I've been hearing," Ranger told him.

"You were an excellent shepherd, Reilley," Father Francis told the little boy as he was leaving with his mother and Christmas guest. The priest handed Ranger a box.

"I know that storm affected your plans, Stephanie. There are some extras." In the box was a half gallon of milk, eggs, bread, cereal, a few cans of soup, a bag of oranges, and a pan of sweet rolls for Christmas morning. "The church has plenty."

She knew better to contradict the stubborn priest. "Thank you. I'll see how Miss Fitch is on food. Merry Christmas."

"You're an angel. Merry Christmas, Carlos," the priest told Ranger shaking hands.

"Merry Christmas."

After they parted, Father Francis looked at the paper the stranger placed in his palm. Unfolding it, it wasn't a note as he thought but three one hundred dollar bills folded together.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Previous:**_

After they parted, Father Francis looked at the paper the stranger placed in his palm. Unfolding it, it wasn't a note as he thought but three one hundred dollar bills folded together.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Covered in more falling white flakes, the number of cars parked near Stephanie's in the lot had maybe six inches on them. There was a slight dusting in the parking lot which members attempted to keep clean so no one fell. Stephanie's used blue Baja looked like a white blob with all the snow. "That one is mine," she indicated unlocking it with the keyless entry and flashing the lights.

"Start it and hand me your brush, I'll clean it off," Ranger was instantly in his leader mode.

'It's in the back seat," she replied knocking snow off the back door so a ton of snow didn't land in the car. "Get in your seat, Reilley, and I'll buckle you in after I start the car."

Ranger cleaned off the driver's door for Stephanie so she could get inside. She was glad she purchased gloves; he didn't have any on his hands. "Here, use these." Her knit gloves had a thick top layer with open finger tops she was peeling off. "They stretch."

He looked at her and the black gloves.

"Do it!"

His lips were tight and he said between clenched teeth, "I'm fine."

She had very intense blue eyes he could see in the parking lot lights. He didn't say another word just slipped the partial gloves over his freezing hands. They were warmed from her hands.

Stephanie made sure her son was buckled tightly in his car seat and wrapped a fleece blanket from her daycare bag around him. By the time Ranger was locking his seatbelt in place, the inside of the sport utility car or truck was warm. He was blowing on his cold fingers and grateful for the protection he did have. Why he didn't have any gloves in his coat he didn't know.

"I don't live far," she said backing out.

A fireman was directing the cars out of the lot and stopped Stephanie. "Watch the roads and you should be OK to make it home. No one is supposed to be on the roads since a State of Emergency was declared by the mayor."

She nodded hoping they made it to the row house she rented for her and Reilley.

Her fingers were clutching the steering more than tight, it was bordering on crushing. "Can you tell driving in the snow is not one of my favorite things?"

"You're doing fine," Ranger encouraged. "Just take it slow."

She did and wound their way through the back streets a few blocks from the church until finally she parked in an empty spot on the side of a red building.

Reilley cheered from his car seat, "See, Mommy, you did!"

A deep breath was let out. That short drive shot her blood pressure up for sure. "We did it."

There were four attached two-floor apartments in the building and another one behind it. Ranger slung his duffel over his shoulder and picked up the box the priest had given Stephanie.

"We're the third door," she indicated to her Christmas guest coming around the corner. Ranger heard a gentle 'TING' in the wind welcoming the snowy people. She waved to someone looking out a window in the second row house and began sweeping the steps with the broom on the shared small porch of the second and third units.

A frail grey haired woman peeked out her door.

"Merry Christmas, Miss Fitch," Stephanie said to her. "This is Carlos. He's stranded in storm and we are taking him in."

"He's a black Army Power Ranger!" Reilley announced not forgetting about it.

The small woman looked him over. "Watch it," she spoke with a squeaky voice tapping an eye and waving her finger at the stranger. "I have a gun."

Ranger just nodded not sure what he got himself into.

Stephanie took the food box from Ranger taking out two chicken noodle soups and a couple of oranges handing them to her, "Here, Miss Fitch, this is from Father Francis. Do you need any extra bread, milk, or eggs?"

"I'm good, Dear." She never took her bespectacled eyes off Ranger. "I mean it."

Stephanie wanted to alleviate her concern. "I don't think Father Francis would have let him spend Christmas with us if he was a serial killer do you? He looks harmless." Stephanie winked at Ranger.

"I am," he said trying to look innocent.

She shook a finger at the tall man, "You got to watch out for the good looking ones. Merry Christmas to my favorite neighbors. You look so handsome in your robe, Reilley." Her front door shut and she was gone.

Standing on the small front porch, Ranger noticed a simple pine wreath tied with a blue bow on the door. In the tall front window was one of those electric candles glowing on the inside window sill, above it were blue and white tree glass balls hanging from satiny ribbons of varying lengths. When they walked up the steps, on a wrought iron hook hung a large, round rusty bell topped with pine and a blue bow. There was his chime he heard. They were simple decorations, but spoke Christmas.

"Come in, Carlos," his hostess told him.

Stepping inside, Stephanie immediately took the box out of his hands. Her son was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs taking off his snow boots.

"Are you alright? I noticed you walking a little gingerly on your foot at times," she inquired slipping off her boots.

"Yeah," he said with a sheepish expression. "When the SUV I rented went off the road and was stuck in the snow, I kicked it." Ranger was wiggling his toes proving he was fine.

"The bathroom is upstairs. Reilley will sleep with me and you can have his room."

He began to protest and offered to sleep on the sofa.

"You can't," Reilley told him. "If Santa Claus sees you, he might not leave us presents. You might scare him!"

He scared most people in his line of work, but surely didn't want to be on the jolly man's scary list and not leave any Christmas presents. "OK."

The coats were hung in the small closet at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh," Stephanie forgot to tell Carlos something, "Miss Fitch's gun is actually a cap pistol. She was mugged a number of years ago and has become somewhat of a recluse."

"Thanks," he chuckled, "I was a little worried."

"You should meet my Grandma. She bought a hand gunl at a yard sale for protection and shot the roasted chicken on the dining room table showing it to us. She didn't know it was loaded," she was laughing remembering that. "My dad took it off her and gave her brass knuckles."

"Smart man your father."

Before doing anything else, Stephanie turned up the thermostat on the wall and plugged in the green artificial tree in the corner by the front window. "Its home for right now," she said giving a quick glance around the room. "If you want later I'll throw your wet clothes in the washer for you." The box from the church she picked up and went through a doorway.

A wooden room divider he walked around was in place to provide an entry area and block cold air from blowing directly in from the door. On the shelves was a collection of Santa Clauses, which he was looking at. One was tall. He picked it up taking in the details realizing it was painted on a piece of driftwood. Another was wooden, but hand carved. From the grain and carving marks in the wood, it gave the appearance an eyebrow was crooked and he looked mean. The Cuban wondered if he appeared mean all the time when he did that.

The little boy was talking to the Christmas tree. "Hi, Pudding."

Searching under the tree, Ranger didn't see a cat. His eyebrow was up because he heard a 'MEOW'.

"He's in the tree," Stephanie said from the doorway. "I think Pudding is expecting a bird to land, so we're just letting him fantasize and wait for it."

Peeking into the Christmas tree two green eyes were looking back. No lights or ornaments were on the branch the cat was laying on with a flicking tail.

That made Ranger laugh. "OK."

"How about your bath, Reilley?" she asked turning on an electric heater that was in the pit of a non-working fireplace. It resembled a small cast-iron wood burner with glowing imitation logs "I turned on my Hot Pot if you would like a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate while I get him in the tub. Everything is in the kitchen."

"I'm wearing my Power Ranger jammies," the little boy still dressed as a shepherd said looking up at the tall man. "What kind do you have?"

Well, how did he tell him he didn't wear any? "I thought I'd be at home tonight so I don't have any. I'll probably sleep in these," he explained pinching his jeans.

At the moment, Stephanie couldn't meet his eyes, because for being a very, very macho Army guy, she didn't think he owned any. "My parents have some things here for when they visit, Carlos, and I know my father left a pair of flannel lounge pants and a couple of T-shirts if you want to borrow so you don't have to stay in those. Daddy is almost your height and not as trim so they would be a little baggy." Her father was Italian and had a stockiness about him so the pants would be a 'little' baggy.

The way this day has gone, beggars couldn't be choosers. 'It would better than staying in these."

While her son was in the tub, she got the extra clothes of her father's out of the closet in Reilley's room placing them and an extra blanket at the bottom of his bed. Her son had the smaller front bedroom. Hers was in the back with the bathroom between them. She quickly wrapped the small gifts and wrote 'To Carlos, From Santa' on the tags hiding them under her bed.

She got a shower after her son. When she came out in her 'Rudolph' sleep pants, fuzzy slipper socks, and long sleeved T-shirt, she found her son intently working on something at the small table in his room.

"Mommy, how do you write 'Carlos'?" At the dollar store, she found foam

cut-outs in Christmas tree, wreath, and round ornament shapes. In another package were little stars, circles, triangles, and flowers to decorate the larger ones. Reilley wanted to make some ornaments for their tree downstairs and his teachers in day care and Sunday school. These were easy to handle in his small hands and no cutting with scissors. To help him, Stephanie tied loops of yarn for hangers. He decorated one of his green trees with colored dots and a star at the top that he was wrapping.

"Like this, Sweetheart." Stephanie printed out 'C-A-R-L-O-S' on a piece of paper for him. As she wrote he copied the letters but wrote the 'S' backwards. He was four and wrote his own name. Mrs. Harper, the pre-school teacher at St. Agnes said he did very well and only had to be shown once how to write his letters. He placed the sticky tag on the small present and put one the back another with 'Reilley'. She was very proud of him.

"Mommy, when he goes home, Carlos the Power Ranger will have that to remember us," he told her with the innocence of a child.

"Yes, he will. Let's go see how he is and it will be time for bed soon," Stephanie said helping Reilley clean up his shapes and glue.

Ranger was reading the newspaper sitting in the rocking chair when Stephanie and her son descended the steps fresh from their baths. The living room consisted of a blue sofa that was very boxy he would describe it with rounded pillows at each end standing on metal legs. It looked unusual because he had an expensive leather one in Trenton, but was comfortable when he sat on it. It seemed a tad low for his height. Examining it, Ranger figured it must be a 'lounger'. He found a release on the side. Ella, the Rangeman housekeeper, mentioned to him about getting two for the game room in the building because they easily converted to a bed. His company in the building he owned provided a number of employee one-bedroom apartments which were filled. If someone had to work an extra shift because of a security breach or such and lived off-site, then he could lay down instead of driving home. Ranger gave her the go ahead before he left on his mission. A small desk with a computer on the wall under the steps, a normal size TV meaning not a big screen like he had in an entertainment center, a long coffee table, the nonworking fireplace, the rocking chair he was sitting in, and the Christmas tree consisted of the remaining furniture

"The shower is all yours," the hostess offered. "I left the comfy clothes on Reilley's bed. His is the front room," Stephanie explained pointing above them, "and a bath sheet, wash cloth, and extra toothbrush out for you. I prefer the jumbo towels. There's soap, too."

"Thank you," Ranger said looking forward to have the hot water splash over this body that finally thawed out.

"Bring your clothes down after and I'll start the washer. You need clean clothes for Christmas."

Agreeing, Ranger nodded. The day was catching up, he felt weary, but also something else. The day was only something you would hear or read about. The government contract he signed and resigned had taken him to most of the countries and a few places the world ignored, but he could not have ever imagined anything like the cold, snowy conditions he found himself in. The rented SUV was stuck in the snow, he walked in a blizzard, and thought he would be sleeping on the floor like he had done times before, but he wasn't. He would be sleeping in a bed housed in the home of a woman and little boy he didn't know. Through all the dark and deadness he witnessed and walked through so far in his life, it only blackened his heart. He felt something stirring within himself, hope. It was small, cracking through his numbness that he put himself in, and he, Carlos Manoso admitted he might actually be looking forward to Christmas day.

Stephanie was right, the sweat pants were baggy, the length was good, but baggier over Ranger's trim developed hips and thighs than he wore in the gym or lounging in his apartment. They would be so much more comfortable than his jeans to sleep having nixed the idea of his usual sleeping attire. He wouldn't want to do anything that made his hostess uncomfortable and she did have a young son whose room he would be sleeping in tonight and maybe tomorrow night. His overnight accommodations would be a new one for the record books, Ranger the Bad Ass sleeping in a bed topped with a comforter of Santa and his reindeer and between snowman flannel sheets. It took moment thinking, but he did remember the one with the red nose was Rudolph. It was something that even a fool wouldn't deny, sleeping in a bed covered with flying reindeer and a fat jolly man and between smiling snowmen couldn't compare to the discomfort attempting to sleep on a cold, cement floor and the aches in his bones when he got up. The money he earned in the bank doing it hardly covered the pain thinking about it.

Coming downstairs Ranger found Stephanie and her Blue Power Ranger son on her lap wrapped in a blanket sitting on the sofa. The cat came out of the tree and was sitting beside them. He must have gotten tired watching for the Christmas bird. On the long white laminated coffee table covered with a blue cloth that had dancing snowman sewn on it, a simple white candle flickered with pine cones around it on a corner. In the middle was a Christmas tray, a Santa face teapot with three small chubby cheeked faces of the man the little boy was waiting for tonight, and sugar cookies sprinkled with red and green. A small bowl of milk was on the charcoal carpeting for Pudding.

"Do those fit?"

Ranger nodded holding his baggy attire away for him. It was a good thing there was a drawstring at the waist. Reilley pointed to the empty seat on the other end for him and Ranger sat down.

"Mommy, tell me the story again like before."

"Well, Reilley," she began smoothing his wavy hair above his eyes, "when I was a little girl on Christmas Eve, your Aunt Valerie, Grandma, Grandpa, and I would got to Grandma and Grandpa Mazur's house after church. Grandma Edna would make hot chocolate for us and Grandpa Harry would wait until it was ready. The hot chocolate would go in the Santa teapot that was just for this one night. Everyone would gather around with their cup of Santa cocoa and Grandpa Harry would read from this book." She picked up a worn book that had raised print on the aged leather cover.

Ranger recognized the lettering as Hungarian. Some of the red and green coloring in the title, which translated to 'A Visit by St. Nicolaus', was worn off. Guessing, he figured the book was about 100 years old. Books were not made like that anymore.

"This was a gift when she was a little girl and after she and Grandpa Harry traveled to Trenton to live; this was one of the few things she brought with her." As she retold the story, Stephanie's hand lovingly touched the edges of the heirloom. "After you were born, she gave it and her hot cocoa Santa set to me so I could read to as I have done for your four Christmases and drank hot chocolate. When you were a baby, it was a bottle, and when you are older with a little boy or girl of your own, I'll pass these down to you."

His big blue eyes looked up leaning against her shoulder at his adoring mother saying to her, "I like that story."

"Me, too." She handed Ranger his small Santa mug.

It was another complete opposite for cold, cynical, Bad Ass Ranger on this Christmas Eve, but he accepted it without hesitating. "I'm not messing with tradition," he told them. Listening how she related the history associated with the book and her childhood to her son, Ranger began feeling sentimental once again. Flashes of past Christmases with his own Cuban family were going through his mind; he had long forgotten those, lost with man he used to be. His first two-wheeled black bicycle by the Christmas tree he received when he was six put a small smile on his lips.

Opening the book, the pages had a few frays on the edges and the once bright pictures depicting the story had lightened. Missing was some of the gold outlining the images, but the beauty of the book remained. The black scroll words were in her Grandmother's native language like the title. Stephanie unfolded a paper with handwritten English words to read, but she never did. Reciting the entire poem without looking at the paper, she carefully turned the pages for her son. She finished with Santa dressed in a fur trimmed hooded coat calling out from an ornate sleigh flying in the air with his reindeer in gold jeweled harnesses 'Happy Christmas to all, and to all good night!"

She kissed his wavy light brown hair and laid the treasured book down on the coffee table. "Bed time, Reilley, so Santa can come," Stephanie whispered with emotions edging her words.

Just as her little boy said he wasn't sleepy he yawned. He got down from her lap, drank his last sip of hot chocolate, and gingerly put down his Santa mug. "We need to leave cookies and milk for Santa."

"Here, put this by the fireplace," she said handing him a Santa plate with a sugar cookie, "and I'll get milk." Coming back from the kitchen, Stephanie had another small special mug with milk she placed next to the cookies on the brick hearth.

He gave Ranger a little smile telling him, "Don't stay up too late. Santa is coming," and ran up the stairs in his blue Power Ranger pajamas. He no sooner went up and came right back down carrying wrapped presents in his hands. "I'll be back, Mommy." Reilley placed his packages on the green tree skirt and went right up the steps again with Pudding following.

Curious, Ranger got up to see. Three read 'Mommy' on the tags in a child's printing, one was 'Pudding', and the last made Ranger stop and take a second look. 'Carlos' with the 'S' backwards' was written. The little boy had something for him. Why? Ranger was a stranger. He ran his hand through his hair realizing he didn't have anything to give him. That might hurt his feelings. He could give him money because he had some in his wallet, but it didn't seem right. He remembered the candy sticks with the Christmas figures in his duffel and the small bath gel set he could give Stephanie. That seemed so small compared to them opening his home to him. Once he got back to Trenton, he would have Ella send 'Thank You' gifts to them. She took care of all that personal stuff for him. Something else registered to him, the only presents the little boy's mother would have under the tree were Reilley's and that seemed sparse to Ranger. Stephanie was go giving and kind he was finding out and he was wishing he had more.

Stephanie came down quietly and went over to the Christmas tree placing a few gifts under it. "He's asleep I hope," she said picking up the treasured book and placed it on a shelf under the TV. Turning it on, she found a local news report. The weatherman said it would be snowing through the night and, hopefully, the worst was over. Hopefully. Ranger helped her gather up the Santa mugs and hot chocolate pot walking into the kitchen.

Actually, the other downstairs room was about the same size as the living room. It was a kitchen and dining room together. The table was against the living room wall. It was rectangular with four chairs and a bench was underneath for extra seating. The only window was over the sink and counter top on the back wall. Opposite the back door a small room had been sectioned off with folding doors for a stackable washer and dryer. His clothes were going into the washing machine now. The appliances weren't the newest but appeared to be in good shape to Ranger. He was surprised that there was a dishwasher in the old house. When the area was remodeled for the laundry area, the wall separating the two spaces was cut in half so from the outside of the laundry wall to the doorway was open above. It was like a pass-through and provided natural light for the dining area. The kitchen side of the half wall had additional counter space and all storage underneath. With the large window in the back wall, the kitchen didn't have many wall cabinets. Stephanie had a white valance on the window with a light green paint on the walls. It was quite whimsical, she strung a cord from side to side of the window hanging pairs of mittens and gloves with sprigs of holly between them.

"Would you be the watchman, Carlos? I'm going to bring Reilley's Christmas presents up from the basement. If he comes down, can you give me a loud whistle or stomp of your foot so I know not to bring them up?" Stephanie asked opening the door that was under the front stairs.

"Sure. Hand them to me and I'll put them over by the tree if you'll be making trips."

She nodding going down the steps. It took her two trips up with wrapped boxes and the third time she had a couple of bags.

"I hope he likes everything," she said arranging the gifts under the tree. "There was a racetrack he saw and I'm glad I found it early using the store layaway to pay some each payday. Some of the stores sold out of it."

Ranger wasn't sure what 'layaway' was and let it go. Beside the tree, Stephanie placed a large bag with Santa Claus on it. Next, she went about filling Reilley's stocking hanging from the mantel with some small things.

"Do you have some ribbon I could use?" Ranger requested remembering the 'Pez' candies.

Reaching into the bag with the stocking stuffers, she handed him red ribbon. "Is this what you want?"

He accepted it and would place them under the tree before he went to bed. Coming back from the coat closet, she was carrying more red stockings and stopped at the computer desk writing something on one. Next to her son's stocking, she placed a small one. 'Pudding'. In it she placed two catnip mice. An orange was dropped into Reilley's and two others went into stockings. Except for the cat, the three large stockings received candy canes and 'Kisses' she produced from the 'goody' bag. Some additional things went to the stockings and when her stash was depleted leaned two stocking against the brick fireplace. One had 'Mommy' sewn across the white cuff and on the other she had written 'Carlos' in a marker.

"You didn't need to do that," he told her shaking his head, "you gave me a comfortable place to sleep."

"Be surprised and no peeking," she scolded him with a wiggling finger. "Reilley wanted Santa to find you and if there wasn't at least a stocking I didn't want him to be upset with Santa and question his existence."

Ranger could understand it. "OK." There was a spark of a boy inside wondering what Stephanie put in it beside the orange and candy.

"I feel bad I don't have much," Ranger said quietly thinking out loud.

"You're our Christmas guest. I hope our simple Christmas won't be too boring for you." Stephanie couldn't suppress a yawn. It was a long day which part was spent cutting hair at The Hair Shack' and the church. Reilley's day care was there and when she arrived to pick him up, she pitched in to help ready it if people needed a warm place for shelter.

"No," Ranger told her picking up the empty bag on the carpet. "Could I use your computer to send an e-mail to the guy I left in charge of my company? He doesn't know I'm back and stuck."

"That's fine. It might be slow because I have dial-up. It's cheap and easy on my budget," Stephanie explained as she brought up her log-in screen. "I'll leave a light on in Reilley's room for you so you don't run into a wall. Would you unplug the tree and turn off the lights when you go to bed? I expect my son will be up early. Please, sleep as long as you want."

"I'm an early riser."

"Good Night, Carlos."

"Good Night, Stephanie. Thank you again."

Before she went up the steps, she drank the small mug of milk left for Santa and put the cookie in her mouth. She broke off a small piece leaving it on the plate.

Ranger chuckled understanding "Santa' had to have his snack after leaving the presents.

Before he settled in front of the computer, Ranger threw the empty bag away in the kitchen. For some reason, he opened Stephanie's refrigerator. A small ham was on a shelf to be baked tomorrow, there was milk, a few containers of yogurt and ones he couldn't see into, margarine, condiments, the loaf of bread from the church he recognized, cheese, jelly, and eggs. The things he would expect. There were potatoes in a bin and a few apples in the other and an unopened bag of Cole slaw mix. He opened a cupboard finding dishes and glasses. Opening another, he found boxes of cereal. Ranger didn't eat it because of all the sugar, he preferred 'healthier'. The boxes weren't the name brands. Pieces were coming together in his head.

He went to the computer typing in the word 'layaway'. Father Francis mentioned how hard Stephanie worked to provide for Reilley and she referred to her budget. He read about it on 'Wikipedia'. Ranger never heard of it and didn't have a need for 'layaway'. He typed in something else to research. He wanted to see what the wage scale was for a hair stylist. Finding a range and adding in customer tips, he did a few calculations figuring taxes coming up with a ball park figure and factored in rent, utilities, maybe a car payment, gas, and daycare, Ranger didn't come up with much left over for food and clothes, which her son probably grew out of quickly.

He sat there just staring at the computer. Stephanie was barely making ends meet it appeared to him, and yet she was willing to share what she had with a complete stranger and give her reclusive neighbor a plate of Christmas dinner,

Ranger thought about his day. He knew his displeasure was apparent in the rental office when he had to settle for a 'budget' SUV or couldn't even be grateful arriving at St. Agnes not as a Popsicle, but the first thing out of his mouth was inquiring about a hotel. When did he become a 'Scrooge'? Where was his gratitude? He did leave a nice donation at the church, but that didn't excuse his behavior. Yes, Ranger was a very structured person and dedicated to his business. He was difficult; he expected the best out of himself and his employees. Somewhere he lost sight of the small and meaningful.

He logged into Rangeman quickly and dropped Tank, his best friend, a quick note saying where he was and he would be there when the roads opened. Before he hit send, Ranger added 'Merry Christmas'.

With the ribbon Stephanie gave him, he tied three of those 'PEZ' candies together pushing them down in Reilley's stocking. Two were tied together for Stephanie and he dropped one in his stocking so Santa visited Ranger's stocking, too. Before he turned off the Christmas tree and lights, he placed the small bath set next to Stephanie's packages her son had for her.

The flannel sheets were soft against the skin not covered. The feel wasn't like the expensive Egyptian cotton ones on his bed at Rangeman, but soft in a comforting way on a cold, snowy night. Before closing his eyes after he weighed what he realized, Ranger when he returned to Trenton would go shopping for gifts himself. Stephanie and Reilley were sharing all that they had with him, and he could at least to that. The 'TINK' from the big bell outside on the porch told him Christmas was almost here and this one wouldn't be just any other day.

**.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_Chapter 4_

Opening his dark chocolate eyes, Ranger realized he was warm. He slept soundly even without the benefit of security in practically every nook and cranny like Rangeman. He was trained to sleep with one eye open always being aware. During the night he remembered hearing the wind a few times and the tinny tone of the bell, but drifted back off. Listening, his skilled ears only picked up quiet on Christmas morning. He didn't need to look at his watch; his body automatically knew the time. 5 A.M. He did pick up his watch reading the numbers 5-3-9. Ranger when he was Security Ranger was awake no later than 5:02 everyday, but today wasn't everyday, it was Christmas Day. Stretching, the give in the mattress of Reilley's full size bed felt good. He was surprised it wasn't a twin, the extra space was nice. Stephanie had mentioned her parent's visited and because there were only two bedrooms in her row house, he figured that was the reason for the double bed.

The blankets he threw back heading to the bathroom quietly. He still didn't pick up any human sounds only the furnace when he came out; Stephanie's bedroom door was open slightly like it was last night so she and her son must still be sound asleep. Ranger looked out the window in the front door, there were a few flakes dancing in the cold air and he estimated there was about six inches of new snow on the steps. The weatherman said over fifteen inches had fallen yesterday, so that would make it over twenty-one inches so far with a layer of ice mixed in. The road crews would be busy all day working to open the interstates and major highways, and not with their families celebrating. He couldn't believe he even thought of that, but then he was standing there in a strange living room smiling at the Christmas tree he just plugged into the socket.

He turned on the TV hoping the local news would be on for an update, and then headed for the kitchen. Taking a can of coffee out of the refrigerator he saw last night, Ranger read over the recommended amount of scoops for a pot of coffee. Ella always had some made for him with his breakfast, some days Ranger only took a few sips. He wasn't a regular coffee drinker. The glass pot held eight cups so that's what he made. The filters were beside the cereal that he discovered looking around. Next, he looked at the knobs on Stephanie's counter top oven. He didn't have one of these. Putting the coffee back in its place, Ranger removed the pan of breakfast rolls reading the baking time and temperature. He slid those in the toaster oven and adjusted the temperature. This was the least he could do have coffee and warm cinnamon rolls waiting for Stephanie and Reilley.

Turning around from looking out the kitchen window, the cat went by and into the laundry room. Like on the front, Stephanie and Miss Fitch's row houses shared a small back porch he saw. Between the building Stephanie lived in and the one across the way, there was a small strip of ground separating them and he made out a small playground at the end noticing a sliding board piled high with snow.

He followed Pudding into the living room; the cat crawled back up on its branch waiting for the Christmas bird. Above him, he heard feet. Heading back into the kitchen, he wanted to check on the progress of the rolls and coffee.

"Mommy, Santa Claus was here!" Reilley ran down the stairs finding presents under the tree.

"Yes, he was, Rye," Stephanie agreed with her son. She sniffed smelly something good.

Coming out of the kitchen, Ranger had a tray with warm cinnamon rolls, mugs of coffee, and a 'Rudolph' cup he found for hot chocolate.

"Merry Christmas, Carlos," Stephanie said surprised to see he him coming out of the kitchen. "Thank you for our snacks."

"Merry Christmas, Stephanie. Merry Christmas, Reilley. It's the least I could do for your hospitality."

She could hardly contain her anxious son moving presents under the tree. "Let's see what Santa left us." She turned on her fireplace heater and walked over to the tree. Bending down without looking in the tree she said, "Merry Christmas, Pudding."

The tree 'Meowed'.

Ranger wandered what the cat would do when the Christmas tree was packed away until next Christmas and does he ever get his fantasy bird?

"Here's one for Reilley," Stephanie giggled at her excited little boy running over by the TV to open his present. "Here's another for Reilley. Santa knew you were a very good boy this year." She set those by her son. "I see 'Carlos' on presents."

Ranger was aware of the little boy's gift but was surprised by the others. Pleasantly surprised.

"Mommy! Santa remembered from my letter," Reilley yelled jumping up and down with his race track box in his arms that he could barely get them around it.

Acting surprised, his mother gave out an excited, "Your racetrack!"

"Look at this," Reilley ran over to show Ranger. The picture on the box showed a racetrack with four intersecting loops with 'Matchbox' cars.

"I've never seen a racetrack like that," Ranger said honestly because the one he had as a boy had a straight length of track with a loop at the end.

He put down his box and ran to the tree. "Here, Mommy." he handed her one of his presents. "Here, Power Ranger."

Stephanie carefully unwrapped her present. "Oh, Reilley!" Tears were running down her face. "Did you make this for Mommy?"

"At Day Care," he told her proudly.

Stephanie was holding in her hands a glass plate. Someone had painted holly leaves around the edge and in the center was his small hand imprint with 'Reilley Age 4' under it.

"Thank you, Rye."

He threw his arms around his mother's neck hugging her like he wouldn't let her go. "You're my best Mommy."

"You're my best boy," she said wiping her eyes.

Ranger couldn't help the mistiness he was feeling and more when he opened the little boy's gift. "Did you make this for me?"

"Yeah, so when you're at your home, you'll remember us," Reilley said with every ounce of little boy innocence.

"I don't know if there will be a tree when I get to Trenton since I've been away, but I'll make sure I find one to hang this one," Ranger told him holding up his handmade Christmas tree. He would find an after-Christmas tree to hang the ornament on for his apartment.

"Reilley made our ornaments to go with the ones I had from my Grandmother," Stephanie explained cherishing both the old glass balls on the tree and the new 'foamy' ones her son loving made this year.

Ranger agreed, "Your tree is very special with old and new memories." He opened his box with the black gloves. "I need these." He began chuckling seeing attached to the clip which hooked the gloves together was a keychain with a small blue Power Ranger.

"You got a Power Ranger!" Reilley announced. "I got a blue one upstairs."

"Yes, I do." He opened another small package finding a mug with a rustic moose and tree. "This is beautiful," Ranger said running his rough fingers over very soft yarn. There was a black scarf with a grey band at each end with fringe in both colors. He knew it was handmade. "Did you knit this, Stephanie?"

"A few of my regular clients asked me to make them ones like last year."

"It will keep me warm," Ranger gave a very heartfelt "Thank you."

Reilley opened another present not sure what it was. "Mommy, what did Santa bring me?"

When Stephanie saw it in the store, she couldn't resist. Her best friend that was a boy was Eddie growing up and Mary Lou was her best girl friend. Because she was a girl, her mother didn't think she should have 'Rock'em Sock'em Robots', so when she was at Eddie Gazzara's house they played with his. "They are 'Rock'em Sock'em Robots', Reilley. You battle your Robot against the other player to knock off his head."

"Whoa! That's great. Mommy, we got to play!"

"We will, Sweetheart."

In another package from her son was a glass mug painted with holly leaves to match the plate. Written around it was 'Love, Reilley' in his little boy printing. It made her cry again. Her third present from her son was a candle.

Opening his other presents, Santa brought Reilley some new books to read and color, crayons, new jeans and a 'hoodie' with a car on it, socks, a magnetic play set with 'Cars' from Disney, and the from the bag with Santa Claus, he pulled out a cowboy holding a blanket. Ranger found out that was 'Woody'.

"I got a 'Snuggie'," the little boy said unrolling the blanket and slipping his arms in sleeves. Ranger wasn't sure what a 'Snuggie' was.

Stephanie enlightened him explaining they were blankets with sleeves and when Reilley was occupied with his gifts, she whispered to him that Miss Fitch altered the blanket to make the sleeves by turning over an edge and adding 'Velcro' tabs to close it. He ate a cinnamon roll and drank his hot chocolate wearing it.

Santa brought Pudding a can of tuna fish. It was probably to share with the imaginary bird.

"Thank you," she said quietly to Ranger sniffing the Mojito bath gel.

His eyes locked on her beautiful blue eyes in which he saw trust and honest delight in the small gift. "I wish is was more."

"No," she shook her head sipping her coffee he made, "It's the little things that matter."

He wanted to kiss her at that moment, but the spell was broken when her telephone rang. Reilley, his 'Snuggie', and all went running.

"Say 'Merry Christmas'," his mother reminded him. "It's probably my parents."

Merry Christmas to you," Reilley sang to the caller. "Grandpa!"

Frank Plum's booming voice filled the room when the little boy switched it on speaker. "Merry Christmas, Reilley! We miss you! Merry Christmas, Pumpkin."

"Merry Christmas, Daddy. Merry Christmas, Mom," Stephanie called out to her parents.

A woman's voice was heard over clanging. "Merry Christmas, Stephanie. I wish you weren't snowed in."

"I know, Mom. We'll be there soon. Is Grandma up?"

"Your grandmother and her Looney Toon friends are stuck at the casino. She's in seventh heaven in the Pocono's. She may have had a little too much to drink, she called to let us know she was fine and said Santa Claus and an elf were playing the slots next to her. This is a better Christmas without her, but would be the best if you and my grandson were here."

Stephanie listened to her father rattle on about her grandmother. She thought maybe he did a touch of celebrating too. He sounded very happy, but it was early in the morning. It had to be that he had the bathroom all to himself.

"Frank, look!" her mother yelled.

"Stephanie, turn on 'CNN' quick!" Frank Plum was muttering 'crazy old bat!'

Changing the channel, a reporter was interviewing Santa Claus and an elf or someone dressed like them. Bells and horns were going off in the casino. "Santa, what are you going to do with all that money?" Across the screen, it was flashing Santa Claus won $11 Million dollars. One of the biggest jackpots ever in the casino.

"I'm going to Disney!" he slurred. In the background, a group of senior citizens in red fur trimmed Santa hats were dancing around with umbrella drinks in their hands. Stephanie pointed to a little woman with bluish-grey curls wearing an 'I'm Naughty So What!' T-shirt. "That's Grandma," she told Ranger laughing on the lounger.

"Grandpa, we got a Black Army Power Ranger. He was in the snow," Reilley tried to explain in his own way about their house guest.

"Did you lose one of your guys in the snow?"

"No, he's a big one."

"Daddy," Stephanie interrupted, "a lot of travelers were stranded in the snow and we have a soldier spending Christmas with us. He was on his way to Trenton and his SUV went off the road."

The cautious father was speaking now. "Stephanie, how do you know he's safe?"

Ranger spoke up, "Sir, I own a security company in Trenton called Rangeman. My name is Carlos Manoso."

"Who's the Mayor of Trenton?"

"Joe Juniak."

"Chief of Police?"

"Paul Costello. I know a few of the policemen because I also do bounty hunting for a bail bondsman there, Vincent Plum."

Frank Plum muttered something in Italian. "That's my cousin we don't talk about, but I won't hold that against you yet. Name me a police officer."

Ranger had to think a moment in his interrogation. "Ah, Eddie Gazarra. There's Carl that I don't know his last name and a guy called Big Dog'."

"Well, that couldn't be just a lucky guess. Hold on." They could hear her father doing something. Stephanie was mouthing "I'm sorry" to her guest.

"Merry Christmas, Officer Gazarra," they heard.

"Eddie, do you know some bounty hunter named Carlos Manoso?" her father asked into another phone.

"Uncle Frankie?"

"Eddie is married to my cousin, Shirley the Whiner," Stephanie whispered to Ranger.

"You mean Ranger Manoso? I see him bringing in skips at the station."

"Is that you?" Frank Plum asked the conversation in Wilmington.

Ranger acknowledged his street name. "That's my street name."

"Is he safe, Eddie?" The conversation was back to Trenton.

"Yeah. He scares the pants off every skip that I've seen. His company building is down on Haywood."

"Thanks, Eddie," Ranger said not wanting to find himself in the snow again.

"Is that you, Ranger?"

"Yeah."

"Merry Christmas, Eddie," Stephanie got into the conversation.

'Steph, Merry Christmas. Aren't you in Wilmington still?"

"Yes, I have a stranded Christmas house guest."

Her friend Eddie was laughing. "Let me guess, Ranger Manoso."

"Small world isn't it?" Stephanie was giggling at the people they had in common.

"Well, I guess it's OK," Frank Plum said to everyone. "Thanks, Eddie, and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Everyone!"

Frank cleared his throat. "I'll take Eddie's word, but Carlos, Ranger, or a combination of that, that's my Baby Girl there and my grandson, and since it is Christmas, I'm in a very charitable mood. That crazy old bat of a mother-in-law I hope is stuck until spring. You better be on your very, very best behavior. Stephanie, I'll be expecting you to give me a report when you get here and if it's not up to my Italian liking, you can bet your guest and I will be having a conversation."

"Daddy, stop it. Carlos has been the perfect gentleman."

"Grandpa," Reilley reminded, "Power Rangers are always good. They get the bad alien guys with the ants on their heads."

"With the antennas. Grandpa hasn't seen the Power Rangers since the last time we watched together so I kinda forgot."

"Mr. Plum, I've already been warned by your daughter's neighbor," Ranger said out loud.

That made her father laugh. "Miss Fitch will get you with her cap gun. Your mother is signaling me that breakfast is ready. Another good thing with this snow is your sister and the dough boy aren't coming! I don't have to listen to them call each other 'Cuddle Umpkins' and "Cutesy Wootsey". That can spoil one of your mother's good meals!"

"Frank," Mrs. Plum called out, "tell Stephanie about Valerie's news!"

"Oh, if that 'kitchie kitchie koo' stuff isn't enough, she's pregnant again! Possibly twin girls! Haven't they ever tried birth control! Albert better get some more 'slip and falls' or car crashes to support all those girls. Just wait until he's in a house full of females with PMS! Take that, Dough Boy! Merry Christmas, Pumpkin. Merry Christmas, Reilly. Enjoy yourself with my family, Mr. Manoso.

"Merry Christmas, Grandpa! Marry Christmas, Grandma!"

Stephanie was laughing at her family. "I bet you can't wait to get to Trenton."

Ranger was shaking his head secretly wishing the snow would start coming down again.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_**Chapter 5**_

"How about French toast for breakfast, Reilley?" Stephanie asked her son in the middle of taking prizes out of his stocking.

He nodded eagerly holding up his trio of "PEZ' candies. "Mommy, what are these?"

She caught the eye of a certain Cuban man who had his stocking. Stephanie didn't buy any of those for stockings so that left only one other person and at the moment became enthralled with his crossword puzzle book and the small plastic Army men she dropped in his. "These are 'PEZ' candies. See," she opened the reindeer top showing him the cherry candies. "These are your candies, but none until after breakfast."

"That's great. You can put them in your pocket and they don't get dirty."

"You're right, Rye."

He watched the cat come out of its Christmas tree perch bat a catnip mouse around a few times only to disappear back into the tree with the toy in its mouth to watch for the elusive bird. Shaking his head, Ranger followed Stephanie into the kitchen to help her and ask a question.

"I'll do that," he said. She had sausage links out and a skillet. Ranger took over the job. As he rolled the links with a wooden spoon while she was mixing the egg and milk for French toast, he began to ask his question. "Can I ask a question?"

Stephanie didn't look up, but continued her mixing. "Where is Reilley's father?"

"Yes, but you don't have to tell me if it upsets you."

"I got over it along time ago. I met a law school graduate before my last year of college and shortly after I graduated became engaged. Let me back up a little. While I was still in high school, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to college, so I took tech classes in the afternoon for the beauty program. On the weekends and one evening during the week during my senior year in high school, I attended the Paul Mitchell Partner School for extra training. My tech instructor recommended me. Passing the state licensing exam, I worked in a salon the summer before I started at Douglas College. I earned a degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration of business classes. My dad had his heart set on one of his daughters going to college. My sister met a stockbroker while working in a department store; they got married soon after she turned nineteen and moved to California. He left her a few years later high and dry with the babysitter. Dickie and I picked a date. He did an internship in the Trenton DA's office during law school and accepted a position as a research associate until he passed the bar. He did pass it and moved up in the DA's office quickly. We were living together before we got married in a nice townhouse rental because both of us worked. E. F. Martin Department Store hired me for their salon. The manager liked me and trained me to be the product buyer for the salon. I attended a few big trade shows during the year because he hated to travel. About two months before our big 'Burg' wedding, I discovered I was pregnant. Dickie wasn't very happy and accused me of cheating. Despite all the talks of having a family eventually, Dickie didn't want children. That was 'talk' to win over my parents. He had a heavy case load that suddenly popped up and he was home less. He left for the DA's office one morning and after I left for the salon, he came back and cleaned out his clothes and personal items. He left me an envelope on the table with $1500 for an abortion and the name of a clinic with an appointment. I never went. The day before was his last day at the DA and he had accepted a job in a prestigious law firm in Atlanta never telling me. I tracked him down through the Internet once the hurt subsided. My father, his cousin Guido, a lawyer in Atlantic City, and I traveled to Atlanta. Dickie had an appointment with Guido about a business matter in Atlanta, he didn't know it included me and my father. I was five month pregnant by then. Guido made him a one time offer, he could sign papers relinquishing any and all future claims to the baby for my peace of mind, provide me with a complete medical history of his family, or we would sue him for the maximum child support the family courts would award me and take him back every few months for more, file a lawsuit for abandonment, and send the law partners copies of the note he left me telling he hated children and to get an abortion. One of his law firm's biggest clients was the Atlanta Children's Hospital so that wouldn't look to good if that somehow was published. He was also seriously dating the founder and senior partner's only daughter who was a pediatric nurse in the same hospital and it was widely known her father wanted a lot of grandchildren to pass the firm onto. Guido also mentioned something about a nice pair of cement shoes in Dickie's size. He signed the papers right then and there and within 24 hours I had a copy of his family medical history. My father's cousin after that would call Dickie asking him his shoe size just to torture him," she laughed at the very uncomfortable man. "The daughter dropped him like a hot potato when she received a copy of a vasectomy bill. Dickie had the procedure done shortly after I told him I was pregnant. He attempted to have it reversed, but Guido told me it didn't work coming up a little short. How he knew that I didn't want to know. Dickie was let go by the Atlanta law firm and finally found a job as a public defender in up-state Michigan the last that I knew. Reilley is all mine."

Ranger stood there listening to Stephanie relating the story to him. There was no emotion in her voice until she said the last sentence. It was complete conviction.

"I didn't want someone walking back into our lives who did not want us in the first place that is why I cut all ties with Dickie Orr. I didn't want any support and really didn't want there to be any connection between us. I never cheated on him and he knew it. Dickie didn't want the responsibility of being a parent to the son he helped create, so I made it easy for him with a little duress mixed in."

"Reilley is a good little boy. How did you end up in Wilmington?"

"The 'Burg' section of Trenton is a very close knit Italians mostly. I didn't want any kids to tease Reilley when he was in school because it was known what happened shortly before the big 'Burg' wedding. Dickie wanted to climb the law ladder, so he always was looking for a better opportunity not far from Trenton since I didn't want to leave my family. I passed the state licensing tests for Pennsylvania and Delaware also in case he found a job in a neighboring state, so after E. F. Martin was bought and I lost my job, I accepted the position at 'The Hair Shack'. If I work a minimum of 32 hours, I qualify for the medical coverage offered through the small business association of Wilmington. Not many salons have that. It's less than I made before, but I couldn't pass up the medical. Through the dental school at the university, Reilley and I can have free check-ups done by students. It's that medical insurance is so expensive and this is better than not having it."

Listening to her reasoning, Ranger never thought twice about having medical insurance. If he was on a mission, then the government was responsible or his Rangeman coverage if he was Security Ranger and it is the best that money buys. It costs his company plenty, but it is a benefit he took for granted.

"You must miss having your family close by," he commented. Ranger really didn't miss his, but thought of his kind mother over the last day.

Stephanie nodded and her curls followed the movement. "I do and Relley enjoys spending time with my father. When we are in Trenton, my mother likes it because one of their favorite hang-outs is the hardware store and she has no problem getting my father to do those small 'Honey Do' jobs, he has a helper.

He wondered out loud. 'Would you ever move back to Trenton?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't live in the 'Burg' that's a given with all the gossiping and I would need a job so I could support us with benefits. Those can be hard to come by working as a stylist. I really don't know," Stephanie told Carlos honestly.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The telephone was ringing just as breakfast was finishing. Stephanie wasn't sure who it was calling. Her son went running from the dining room to get it.

"Merry Christmas," Reilley greeted answering the telephone.

"Um, um, Hi. Is Ranger there?" a deep voice asked flabbergasted to hear a small child.

The little boy walked into the kitchen where the only Ranger he knew was the black Army Power Ranger. "Are you calling to talk with the Black Army Power Ranger?"

Stephanie took the phone from her son, "Hello, can I help you?"

"I was trying to get in touch with Ranger, Carlos Manoso," the voice clarified adult to adult.

Stephanie handed the telephone to her Christmas guest. "I think it's for you."

"Yo."

"Ranger, where are you?" his best friend, Tank, questioned. He was surprised to see an e-mail in his 'In' folder from his friend and boss. And, even more so, to read he was stranded in Wilmington. Hector, the IT specialist, traced the path of the e-mail discovering it did originate in Wilmington and a telephone number associated with the dial-up connection.

"In Wilmington. I told you and you found the number."

"Yeah," he laughed. "Who answered the telephone? It sounded like a little kid."

"Just so you know, Snoopy, that was Reilly and Stephanie. They are the family who offered me a warm house to spend Christmas and not sleeping in a corner in a crowded church. How are things there? Any problems?"

"It's Christmas and we got all this snow that is making it too hard to get around. An alarm went off at Rubio's Market. It was because of an awning coming down and cracking the glass in the store window. We have about twenty-four inches."

"Good. Same here. What about the insurance company on the SUV and notifying the rental company? My cell phone was smashed somehow."

"Both were called and I'll have Hector working on a new cell phone for you for when you get back. The news indicated the State of Emergency should be lifted sometime late tonight so I guess you'll be back tomorrow."

"Probably," Ranger said with a ball of dread in his digesting stomach. He wasn't ready to go back.

Tank asked a question that had been in his head since he read the e-mail. "With your government security, why didn't you use it to get back here? No law enforcement agency would have stopped you." Nothing would have stopped Ranger Manoso from getting his Cuban ass to Trenton except Ranger himself. He was curious of the reason.

Ranger answered very nonchalantly, "It didn't seem that important. The authorities had more urgent matters."

"He's full of SHIT!" Tank thought. Ranger considers Ranger important. He's known him from Basic Training so he KNOWS Ranger! Tank was surprised the weatherman didn't end up at an Antarctica weather station and he wished him a 'Merry Christmas' in the e-mail. Who was this man?

"I'll see you sometime I guess tomorrow."

"Do you want me to send someone to Wilmington to get you?"

He glanced at Stephanie hoping he could ride with her and her son to Trenton.

"I'll see if I can hitch a ride." She nodded her response. "If anything major happens, call me. Wish the guys a "Merry Christmas' for me. Bye, Tank."

Ranger doesn't say 'Good-bye'. "You, too. Merry Christmas." Tank surprised stumbled over the words ending the telephone call. He sat there hearing the dial tone and watching the mouth piece. "Who was that man?"

"Tank, who you talking too?" Lester, a co-worker, stuck his head in his office door not seeing anyone.

"I think, Ranger. He said 'Merry Christmas' and "Good-bye'. He's staying with a family in Wilmington celebrating Christmas."

Lester Santos began laughing. "Ranger? You had too much egg nog, Tank."

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Together, the two adults and one small boy were piecing the race track sections together to connect the four loops. Stephanie was in charge of the instructions.

"What kind of house do Power Rangers live in?" Reilley asked.

"My company is called Rangeman in Trenton," Ranger began to explain. "We provide security services for people and do bring in people who were arrested and didn't show up for court like they were supposed to." He said in simple terms for the little boy.

"And you know Eddie and Uncle Joe," Reilley commented.

Ranger looked at Stephanie. "Uncle Joe?"

"Uncle Joe. My father was Post-Master in Trenton for a long time and his best friend growing up was a councilman who became mayor, Joe Juniak. My family and the Juniaks would even rent places at the beach for summer vacation together. Their son, Andrew, is a career Air Force man."

"I see, so I don't want to get on your father's bad side," Ranger chuckled. "I'll have the Mayor knocking at my door."

The little boy was watching the Cuban man to continue with his story.

"I live on the 7th floor of my company building. Ella, the Rangeman housekeeper, and her husband, Luis, live on 6." Ranger saw the questioning expression with his light brown eyebrows knitting together. "Ella cooks for me and all the employees. She washes our work uniforms and makes sure everything is clean. Luis does the repairs in the building. Some of my workers live in apartments in the building because we have long hours working sometimes."

"There's more Power Rangers?"

"Yes. There is Tank, Lester, Bobby is the Power Ranger Medic to bandage us if we get hurt, Cal, Hal, Ram, and Hector," Ranger named some of his employees. While he was doing that he noticed Stephanie had a forlorn expression coming across her soft features not meeting his eyes.

"I should get the ham in the oven," she told them.

Reilley went running up the stairs, "I'm getting my cars!" The curly-Q race trace was complete and ready for racing.

There he was alone in the living room and Ranger wasn't sure what had upset his hostess. Walking into the kitchen not making a sound, he found Stephanie crying. "What's wrong? Did I say something to upset you?"

"You have a housekeeper to cook for you. I can barely cook beyond simple stuff. How can this meal even compare to what you're used to?" She waved her hand in the direction of the small ham and potatoes she placed on the counter.

A strong finger tipped up her chin seeing tears of embarrassment. "It doesn't compare," Ranger said simply. "The Rangeman housekeeper, Ella, prepares meals for me and my workers because she's paid to do it. She cares about us, but you, Stephanie, bought the ham, potatoes, and everything to have a special dinner with your son. You made sure there were special foods for him. There's love in this meal and are willing to share it."

"But, I can barely cook."

Ranger chuckled, "I can barely cook myself. So if we put your cooking with mine, we may have an almost cook." He picked up a knife. "Before the Rangers, I was in the Army, and one thing about that, when an attitude adjustment was needed, you learned to peel potatoes."

His words Stephanie was letting register in her brain. Her teary eyes began to twinkle and her smile returned. "You must have gotten really good."

"Oh, yeah."

They stood in the kitchen, Ranger peeling and quartering the potatoes, Stephanie placing the brown sugar and pineapple on the ham like her mother with a few cloves before it went into the oven. He answered her questions as best he could about Trenton, but he got the idea he was the outsider looking into the 'Burg'. He could update her on 'Pino's', the favorite pizza place. He opened the cans of fruit for Stephanie. She decided to add warm fruit salad to the menu for extra color.

The kitchen took on the aromas of the baking foods. Ranger felt a sense of accomplishment seeing the pot of cut potatoes sitting in the cool water waiting for when they would be simmering to become mashed potatoes.

"You did good for a Power Ranger," Stephanie smiled up at her house guest holding out her hand.

Ranger took her smaller hand in his. He noticed the difference in their skin tones holding her hand. His darker next to her pale color. "We did good." He laughed hearing her son calling for the 'Power Ranger'. "I think I have to go race now."

"Good luck, Carlos," she teased him.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Her son brought a box out from under the Christmas tree that he hadn't seen. "What's this?"

Opening it up, Stephanie clicked the edges together of new cutting shears. "Marilyn gave me these for Christmas."

"Really, you can give me a Christmas haircut." He tugged on his wavy hair covering his forehead.

"Is your hair getting long?" Stephanie asked her son.

He went running into the laundry room coming back with a towel Ranger watched.

Stephanie moved the chair he used at the table with a booster seat to beside the half wall counter in the kitchen. "Let me to get my things." She came back with a quilted bag removing a small pouch which was untied. In it were combs, brushes, and other scissors. In a cabinet, she produced a spray bottle.

"Hold still, Reilley," she said trimming his hair. She didn't cut off much Ranger saw, but it was enough to satisfy her son. His damp hair she blew dry quickly brushing it into place. "How's that?"

He studied his new Christmas haircut in the mirror his mother held up. Smiling at his reflection, "I look good, Mommy."

"Of course, you're my little boy." Stephanie noticed how intensely Ranger watched from the kitchen stool as she trimmed her son's hair. "Would you like a Christmas trim, Carlos? Or is it Ranger?"

"I picked up the name in the Rangers and it's stayed with me. Just about everyone calls me by it except my family," he told her taking the leather tie out of his ponytail. He moved over to Reilley's chair minus the booster seat.

"How much do you want trimmed off?"

He wore his hair long like this for a few years and being away hadn't been cut in a number of months so it was longer than he usually let it grow. "Shorter."

"That tells me a lot? How much shorter?" Stephanie asked from behind him running her fingers through the long dark hair feeling the silkiness and texture of it.

It had been so long that any woman did that to him, Ranger lost himself in the sensation momentarily, and particularly it was a woman with beautiful blue eyes doing it. "You're the stylist. What do you recommend?"

"That's dangerous to say someone with shears. What is your typical day like?"

"I could go from wearing a suit, to chasing a skip, to sitting in my office doing paperwork."

Stephanie giggled. "You go from Corporate Raider to Power Ranger all in one day."

"Yeah," he agreed. Ranger couldn't help chuckling. Reilley was giving a thumb's up at 'Power Ranger'. His dark eyes were locked on the blue ones in front of him now studying his hair hanging down by his eyes.

She was blushing he could see. "You are a very handsome man with hair that lies just perfectly." His hair was held up in sections and let to fall back in place.

"Cut it shorter."

Stephanie didn't need to be told twice picking up her spray bottle. She had a style in mind and hoped her house guest would like his new look. His long hair was pooling on her kitchen floor and her son kept giving him the 'thumbs up'.

"Rye, go get me my spray bottle in the bathroom."

Ranger's eyebrow went up, but he didn't say anything. She picked up a different pair of scissors going around his head. Ranger could feel air on his neck as she moved around. Standing in front, she had hair on each side of his face making sure the length was the same. Next the blow dryer went on, and then a comb was going through shorter hair after it was dry. Stephanie sprayed something on her hands rubbing it through his hair.

"OK, here is the corporate guy," she said placing a white paper napkin at his neck, and then held up the mirror for Ranger.

Looking back was a man with shorter hair brushed back on the top and sides. She had even given him short sideburns to go with the shorter dark hair.

"Then when your chasing the bad guys or hanging out at your office," she told him. Her fingers quickly ruffled the smooth hair and it fell into place with the top falling to one side. "Its towel dry and go if you want." When she did that, he could see layers where it was once one length. "I used my texturing scissors going underneath so it would lay nice either way."

The layered 'blown' hair softened the angular lines of his Cuban face and even to Ranger the image of the man who looked a back at him in the church bathroom mirror was harsh. When his hair was tapered back, he was his corporate self knowing he could walk into a meeting with business client or the Pentagon office with all his higher ups.

Stephanie waited for a reaction either good or bad, hoping on the positive side. She could always just go closely trimmed but it would be Army-like on the sides.

The shaggier appearance made him younger closer to her twenty-eight years and approachable. Those big, dark chocolate brown eyes were always focused, but blank she would say. There was a spark in them since Christmas Eve she noticed.

"That's a difference. I hardly recognize myself. You are a magician with those scissors," he pronounced smiling with a flash of perfect white teeth. He even became more devastatingly handsome when he did smile weakening her knees.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Mommy, it's so pretty!" Reilley stood by the dining room table covered in a white table cloth. Down the middle was a red tapestry table runner of green and cream striped and polka dotted stockings. White votive candles in glass snowflake holders were lit down it. White plates with snowflakes were on shimmering red placemats. Sparkling grape juice was in goblets. Ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, colorful fruit salad, Cole slaw, and warm crescent rolls were placed around the table. As something extra special, Stephanie frosted three pinecones with glitter attaching cards printed with 'Reilley', 'Carlos', and 'Stephanie' at each plate. "I got a big boy glass!" At her son's he had a goblet with a straw.

"It's Christmas dinner. It's special."

He took his chair with the booster seat holding up his plate. "These are our special Christmas dishes."

"They are very pretty," Ranger commented holding Stephanie's chair for her.

"I got these at the 'dollar store' after last Christmas during the 50% off sale," she said remembering how fortunate it was to get the last eight the store had along with saucers and cups. The sales clerk put them aside for her.

He didn't know what the 'dollar store' was and didn't think he was ever in one, but Ranger thought the table appeared elegant. It was simple like the decorations in her home, but each was full of love. "It's very elegant."

Reilley held up his glass saying like Tiny Tim, "Bless us, everyone!"

"Bless us, Reilley," his mother said tapping her glass with his and Ranger's.

Placing his fork down, Ranger swallowed his last bite of green beans. "That was wonderful. I can't eat another bite."

"The mashed potatoes I would say were rather good," she laughed. "But, I'll be disappointed if you don't have a little bit of room left for one of Reilley's favorite desserts."

She slid back her chair walking to the oven and coming back with pot holders protecting her hands holding a casserole dish.

"What is it, Mommy?" Reilley asked leaning on the table to take a sniff. "Rice pudding!"

She returned with small dessert dishes, a serving spoon, and a plate of sugar cookies. "I knew you would like that," she told her son kissing his small happy cheek.

"Stephanie, those are magic words," Ranger told her softly. The images of his mother bringing a bowl to the table ran through his mind. "This is a favorite Cuban dessert." He hadn't had any in quite some time. "Mmmm, this is delicious." It wasn't his mother's, but the creamy pudding with a touch of nutmeg was the perfect end of their Christmas meal. Simple perfection.

_**XXXXXXXXXXX**_

Helping to load the dishes in the dishwasher, something kept playing in Ranger's mind. Tank brought up a very valid point, with the high level of his government security clearance Ranger had, why didn't he throw his weight around to get himself back to Trenton? Was it the idea of going back to nothing that stopped him subconsciously? The mere idea of spending a snowstorm holed up with wall to wall nameless people would have sent him right back to the farthest reaches of a bug infested jungle with Pygmies roasting him for dinner as a viable option. No, it was the yearning for more, kindness and caring. All the money in the bank that bought Ricardo Carlos Manoso the best of what ever he wanted didn't, it was lacking.

He rocked himself looking around the living room drinking a cup of tea after dinner that might have drafts, there was a simple tree with old and handmade decorations that were special, memories of the Christmas Eves drinking out of a Santa face, a meal cooked to be eaten and shared with someone alone, a mother and son coloring to be near each other on the coffee table, and all wrapped with love, compassion, and hope. Ranger needed to believe in goodness again, and Father Francis was right, the magic of Christmas did thaw out his cold heart.

"Do you mind if I make a call, Stephanie?"

She and her son looked up from their coloring book and crayons. "No," she told him.

Ranger dialed a number he knew by heart. It rang twice and he heard Cuban laughter. "Merry Christmas, Momma."

The person on the other end didn't say anything, and then he heard his mother whisper, "Ricardo?"

"Yes, Momma."

Mrs. Manoso asked speaking with a slight Cuban accent, "Where are you? In Trenton?"

"No, I was driving from Washington DC trying to get to Trenton. I became stranded in the snow and ended up at St. Agnes church with others stranded by the storm." He could hear his mother crying.

"You're safe and warm. That's all that matters. I wish you weren't alone on Christmas," his mother said happy to hear her youngest child's voice but sad also said he was alone with strangers.

Ranger glanced at Stephanie and Reilley contented in their activity. "I'm not alone, Momma. A young mother and her son are sharing their Christmas with me in Wilmington. Stephanie and Reilley. We just finished dinner a short time ago."

"Really? What did you have?"

"Ham, mashed potatoes," he rattled off to appease his mother, "Cole slaw, fruit salad, and green beans with rice pudding and sugar cookies for dessert."

"That sounds wonderful. Let me thank her, Ricardo. Please," she sobbed between her words overwhelmed hearing his deep voice. "I'm a mother."

Ranger pinched his nose quickly counting to ten to squash the thought of regretting the call and hanging up. "Stephanie, my mother would like to speak with you," he said handing her the cordless phone. He could go outside and shoot himself, but Power Rangers probably didn't shoot themselves in the cartoons.

She was surprised he saw, but accepted the telephone from him. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Manoso."

Lucia Manoso was weeping into the phone. "Thank you, Stephanie. Two full Christmas have gone by and I haven't heard from my son. Thank you for your kindness you showed him and opening your home to him. Hearing his voice was the best Christmas present I could receive. Thank you, My Dear, from one mother to another."

"It's an honor to have him, Mrs. Manoso. My son and I didn't do anything. He's given so much for our country; this is small compared to that. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Holiday," she said quietly handing the phone back to her Christmas guest. She did not know what else to say to the affected mother because she was about to burst a dam.

"It was wonderful hearing your voice, Ricardo," Lucia told her son trying to control her emotions knowing he didn't like that 'female mushy' thing.

"Good Night, Momma. Stephanie's son wants to take a walk to see the Christmas lights."

"Merry Christmas, Ricardo," she said quietly hanging up.

Stephanie watched him replace the phone on the charger. The man here and now wasn't the same man yesterday sitting impersonally closed off. She wouldn't call Carlos an open book, but the magic of Christmas added warmth to his voice and his dark eyes. They weren't far away anymore.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The Christmas evening was crisp. It was cold, but it wasn't something that chilled Ranger to the bone like the day before. It didn't seem possible that that horrible snowstorm was only 24 hours ago. Everything was covered in a fresh white blanket. There was a park a few blocks from Stephanie's row house that the city decorated and her son liked the lights.

Before starting their walk, Stephanie knocked on her neighbor's door giving her containers of leftovers. With them leaving hopefully tomorrow for Trenton, she didn't want the food to spoil.

Miss Fitch hugged her neighbor for the Christmas dinner earlier and her 'goodies'. Ranger could see the gratefulness in Stephanie when she had a card from her neighbor. Inside was a gift certificate for local grocery store and her son received a stocking filled with 'Matchbox' cars, animal figures, socks, and these shapes as Stephanie explained to Ranger if you placed them in water they grew. He took her word for it because she was a mother.

As they drew closer to the park, they could hear singing. Turning a corner, Ranger didn't expect to see what he did. The small park was outlined in white lights completely around it. In the middle was a small bandstand lit in the same lights. A group of people dressed in Victorian style clothes right out of Charles Dickens were singing Christmas carols. People were all around the circle singing. There were fires in mesh covered pits adding warmth to anyone who grew cold.

"Mommy, take my picture!" Reilley called from a sleigh outlined in the white lights.

She gladly snapped her son with her digital camera. Ranger took it from her so she could join her son. The photograph of the two of them looking at each other smiling caused a lump in his throat. Love passed between them.

A man offered to take a picture so Ranger could join them by the sleigh.

"Can I have a copy?" Ranger asked seeing their picture.

Stephanie nodded. "I'll print them out in Trenton and get it to you."

The Chamber provided warm cups of hot chocolate and cider to the carolers at stands around the park. Ranger bought a bag of roasted chestnuts for the three of them and even found he couldn't stop himself from joining in singing the Christmas songs.

"This was the best Christmas, Mommy," a tired little boy said against the strong shoulder he was resting as Ranger carried him back.

"I think so, too, Reiiley."

It had been the best that a certain Cuban man could remember in a very long time. Somewhere in the security business and tramping through jungles and deserts, he lost sight of the important things. He became cold and closed off from his family, his friends, and himself. But, somehow in the kindness of this mother and son, his heart felt thawed. The hope there felt good.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_Chapter 6_

With the State of Emergency lifted, Stephanie finished packing her suitcase for her parents. Her houseguest suggested they give the road crews time to scrap and salt the highways if it was needed before they began the road trip. She was grateful he offered to drive. That eliminated some of her nervousness. She heard the shower go off knowing Ranger would be dressing. His street name fit him. 'Ranger'. To Stephanie it associated leadership and command with the word and an image she had of Chuck Norris the no-nonsense Texas Ranger.

The blow dryer went on and wasn't on too long hearing the bathroom door open. She placed her small suitcase and quilted bag with her styling essentials and make-up outside the door with Reilley's things. Ranger was walking down in the camo pants and shirt from Christmas Eve. He had the shirt open over the black turtleneck. It was tight and she could count the ridges showing.

"How's the hair?" Stephanie inquired. She had given Ranger a small tube of the gel she used to smooth his hair, but he left it falling to the side and loosely combed into place.

"Done in a few minutes and it looks like you styled it. Ready," he said picking up most of the bags in his other hand. Stephanie grabbed her quilted one going down the steps first. She went running at the bottom to her son wiping tears on his cheeks. "Reilley, what's wrong?"

"Pudding is going to be all alone. He's my cat friend."

She was kneeling in front of her little boy wiping the wetness on his pinked cheeks. "Sweetheart, Pudding is coming with us. He's stays here if we go for a weekend, but we'll be at Grandma and Grandpa's house longer. If it snows more, we may be stuck there so I can't leave Pudding alone for that long."

"He's coming to Grandpa's?"

The cat came out of the tree hearing its name and the upset little boy. He was rubbing his spotted body on his jeans.

"Pudding is coming," Stephanie told him patting his back to sooth him. "I'll go pull the car up front so we can load our things and leave. It will take a little longer to get to Trenton with the snow."

His blue eyes had tears but he was smiling. "Can I still take my robot game to play with Grandpa? We'll need a break when we're not fixing things."

"Of course. Grandpa will like those. I'll put your 'Snuggie' in the backseat for you and Woody. Let me go get Pudding's carrier to put in the back in case we get stopped by the snow and his leash."

Ranger enjoyed watching the mother and son together. Stephanie gave her all so her son was happy and he appreciated everything she did even at his young age.

"If you give me your keys, I'll clean off your SUV and move it to the front," Ranger said slipping on his green Army coat.

Stephanie pointed to the top of her computer desk heading to the kitchen.

"YAH!" the cat screeched when Stephanie carried the cat out the door.

"Pudding doesn't like snow," she clarified his behavior opening the backdoor. Reilley went running in under her arm with his cowboy and his magnetic play set in his mitten covered hands. Stephanie buckled her son in his car seat giving it a tug that it was securely anchored.

Ranger stood next to the car watching her slim form in her worn jeans go up on the small porch locking her door. Her neighbor was peeking out. "We'll be back in a few days, Miss Fitch. Do you have everything you need?"

"I'll good, Stephanie. Drive safe," she said in her high pitched voice. She gave Ranger that eye thing with her finger for the last time before shutting her door. Stephanie laughed at her protective neighbor.

Ranger placed his coat over the bucket seat taking his place behind the steering wheel. He disliked that SUV from the rental office and one of the reasons was it wasn't a luxury vehicle, but the Baha was about the same, yet he didn't mind being behind the wheel. That had to do with its owner and his new awareness of items didn't have to be the best and most expensive, it was appreciating what you had.

Stephanie directed Ranger as he drove carefully through the neighborhood streets to a main road. That was plowed, but was still covered with a layer of snow.

"Mommy, look at the snow!" Reilley called out as the SUV passed a parking lot with snow piled almost as high as the pole for the lot light.

"There's a lot of snow."

Ranger steered around a car which was spinning on the side of the road. Her Baha stayed in control even with the quick movement.

He saw her hand grip the seat. "It's OK. We're in control."

"My father believes in his Buicks, but when I decided to move he insisted I have a reliable vehicle because of my cargo. An elderly woman sold it to me, she drove it to church, but her eyesight wasn't too good. I bought it when she was moving into an assisted living center. The bed was a help moving things. It had less than 2500 mile on it. My father was her favorite at the post office so I got a good deal." Stephanie laughed, "I think she sold it before her free loader son got his hands on it."

"Even with this snow, it handles smooth," Ranger said pulling into a gas station.

"Let's fill this up before we hit the interstate. I get it. You're giving me a ride."

'You're driving," she told him rolling her eyes.

Ranger entered 95 finding it was scrapped with patches of snow that had blown onto the roadway. It would take them right into Trenton. Crossing over into Pennsylvania there were more vehicles traveling towards Philadelphia, but the interstate was more snowcovered, but ahead Ranger saw the flashing lights of maintence truck plowing and salting.

"How about some lunch?" he asked pointing to a rest stop plaza. Stephanie was tense gripping the seat. "We'll let the salt work on melting this." He heard her exhale when he pulled into a parking spot.

Ranger directed the three of them towards the McDonald's seeing her son's eyes light up. "Get what you want," Ranger told the mother and son standing at the counter.

"Mommy," Reilly said tugging on her blue parke, "can I have pop with my nuggets?"

Stephanie didn't buy much carbonated drinks for them, but occasionally it was a treat and a change. She winked at her son, "We're traveling so this is special."

"I want root beer."

He was going to order his usual salad, but didn't want Stephanie to think he didn't have money; he had his black credit card, so Ranger substituted water and like Stephanie ordered a fish sandwich.

Reilley carried his own lunch in its box. Stephanie got the straws, ketchup, and napkins. Ranger had the task of carrying the tray to the corner booth she picked.

"Thanks, Power Ranger," Reilley said biting into a French fry as his mother opened his sweet and sour sauce.

It made Ranger chuckle at the name. He could just see his best friend Tank's expression when he told him they were Power Rangers. Tank would be scratching his bald head raw.

"What's so funny?" Stephanie asked watching Ranger laugh.

"I was just imagining the expression of my best friend's face when I told him we were now Power Rangers. Stunned wouldn't come close to describing it."

"That funny?"

"Tank is a tank. Big, bald guy with like size fifteen shoes," Ranger described holding his hands up giving Stephanie an idea how big Tank's feet were and even bigger in his boots.

Stephanie was thinking out loud after hearing about his friend. "I bet either of you would have sniveling Vinnie shaking in his boots. I feel bad for his wife, Lucille."

"We have and he is a little sleazy I would say."

Stephanie crooked a finger for Ranger to come closer. "It's rumored, but not mentioned in my family that there was something about a duck and he is supposed to be on the kinky side. He's afraid of his father-in-law, Harry the Hammer, so he does about anything to keep Lucille happy."

"His office manager, Connie, is about our age. Would you know her?"

Stephanie knew a few Connies from high school. "What about her last name?"

Ranger heard it a few times, but always referred to her as 'Connie'. "It begins with 'R'. Rosolli I think."

"Shorter than me and developed," Stephanie spoke motioning with her hands for big breasts and hips, "big hair, red fingernails, and a little of a hair lip."

"Little hair lip is kind, but, yes, that's her."

"She is the same age as my sister Valerie ahead of me by two years. I'll be twenty-eight this October."

"I have three months on you."

"Mommy, look what I got!" Reiiley had opened his toy. It was a ball that opened to resemble a robotic bird.

"That's Hawktor," she read the paper.

"He looks like something a Power Ranger would have."

Ranger held up the plastic bird. "I don't have any equipment like this. I do have bullet proof vests and a few guns, but nothing like this."

"Mommy will see if I can buy one of the battle gears that goes on him when we leave if you want, Rye."

He was studying the little description sheet. "That's neat, Mommy."

Ranger had gotten up without a sound while the mother and son were pointing at the figures. He handed his limitless credit card to a cashier indicating he wanted all the other pieces in the set. "I don't care how much they cost. I just want them." The little boy was very happy with all that he had and Ranger watched how carefully he packed all his 'Matchbox' cars in a decorated shoe box when he was done with them so they didn't get lost or broken.

A couple workers were going through the box of 'Bakugan' packages for the other pieces. They didn't like the intimidating look the man was giving them.

"How's this?" Ranger dropped a bag in front of Reilley.

He opened the bag and his blue eyes grew wide. "Thanks, Power Ranger. You're the best one. Mommy, look!"

Stephanie saw the seven other toys in the bag. She mouthed 'Thank You' to her Christmas guest.

Pudding was waiting in the backseat looking out the window for them. When the Subaru pulled back onto 95, Ranger was right; the salt that was applied was melting the snow on the asphalt road. There were wide trails of black roadway showing from the traveling automobiles. It wasn't long before the three of them were approaching Trenton.

"That's my company building," Rnager pointed to a red brick building with a wide wooden door and large window on the street level. He passed it up. "They know I'm coming eventually. I want to come in unannounced." He steered the blue SUV around the block so he approached on the same side of the street parking in an empty spot right at the corner. "There are security cameras around."

"You trying to catch them with their fingers in the Rangeman cookie jar," Stephanie teased.

"Something like that." Ranger was hoping the drive would be longer, but they had good roads coming into Trenton. He really didn't want to get out. "I don't know how to 'Thank you' for your hospitality to a stranger."

Stephanie's blue eyes were bright; there was sincerity and trust in them just like when she offered him a comfortable place to spend Christmas. "You weren't a stranger for very long."

"My life has revolved around my business and the special ops work I do for the government, and in all of it I lost sight of small important things. Money can't buy caring, kindness, and hope. I fooled myself and closed myself off. I hadn't spoken with my parents in over two years because things got in the way and I didn't take the time. You, Stephanie, and your son showed me like the priest told me 'the magic of Christmas' and thawed out this dark, cold heart."

Tears were in her eyes listening to Carlos, her Christmas guest. "We didn't do anything. Maybe what you buried of yourself wanted to come back out and Christmas was a way for you to let yourself out. If you are ever passing by Wilmington, please know you are welcome in our home. We enjoyed having you. Right, Rye?"

"Yeah, you're the best Black Army Power Ranger I know!" Reilley agreed with thumbs up.

Ranger returned the thumbs up with his own. "Thanks. Maybe before you leave for Wilmington I'll see you again."

"I owe you a photograph when I print them out," Stephanie remembered. She held out a hand for the handsome man who came into the lives of her and her son suddenly and was time for him to go back to his.

Ranger held her hand for a moment staring at their contrasts and brought it to his lips. "Thank you. Will you be all right driving to your parent's house?"

Her hand was tingling from the touch of the warm lips. "Yes, I'm practically home. My parent's house isn't too far."

"Bye."

"Bye, Carlos."

"Bye, Power Ranger."

Ranger slid from behind the wheel. If he didn't then he might not. Slipping on his jacket he pulled his duffle from under the bed cover. Stephanie was standing by the driver's door.

"Thank you," Ranger told her one more time wiping a tear on her cheek with a finger.

He watched the blue Baha pull away before walking up the sidewalk back to his life. It wouldn't be so cold and dark, but it would be a little empty.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_**Chapter 7**_

As he walked up the sidewalk side stepping some snow and keeping his head down so the security cameras outside of Rangaman wouldn't have clear exposure of his face, Ranger had the last glimpse of Stephanie's tail lights as she turned down a street. There was an ornate wreath with a gold bow in between glittering red and gold balls. A finger touched it, but it wasn't the simple one he liked on Stephanie's front door. Opening the entrance of Rangeman, Hal at the front desk quickly switched the computer screen off his favorite NASCAR website to a full company screen.

"I saw that, Hal," Ranger growled. He was trying not to chuckle.

He stared at the man who knew his name, finally the features with new hair registered. "Ranger," he replied flustered by his sudden appearance and not being aware of the man he didn't recognize the front camera had shown on the sidewalk.

He waved it off. "It's a little slow with the weather. I'll announce myself," Ranger told him stepping on the elevator and preventing Hal from buzzing Tank or the control room. If the new haircut caught the front desk off guard what would happen when he stepped off the elevator.

The elevator dinged letting anyone in the hallway know someone was coming. Ram and the monster of a tattoo man, Cal, were in it and from their direction heading back to the control room. Both focused on the man in camouflage pants and Army green jacket, neither said a word. Their eyes scanned him stopping on the newcomer's face. Unfamiliarity fell into familiarity, the 'being aware of your surroundings' that he preached everyday.

Ranger put a finger to his lips.

"Merry Christmas," Ram told him quietly.

Cal patted his shoulder with a large hand of a snake. "Good to have you back." Both waved a finger in the air indicating his 'easy' layered hair.

He nodded telling them "Merry Christmas."

Setting his duffle down without a sound, he stepped in Tank's office door. He was reading over paperwork muttering, "I hate this SHIT." His best friend hated the extra paperwork involved when Ranger was called away by the government, it never seemed to go down or go away. Ranger knew it very well.

"Really?" Ranger chuckled from his leaning position against the doorframe.

The large bald head snapped up. His attention was 100% on the man standing there. The voice he would know anywhere, but the appearance threw him. The muscled body could only belong to one person. "Ranger! When did you get back?"

"Just now," he said walking into the second-in-command's office.

Tank was up. He had six inches on Ranger's 6-foot frame and a lot wider all around in the body mass department. Making a complete circle around his best friend, he stopped in front of him, shook his hand, and said, "What's with the short hair? Oh, welcome back." His change in appearance threw Tank. Ranger had done it before for government jobs, but the short, loose hair was complete opposite of the tied back ponytail he wore for a few years. Actually, Tank was still off balance from the 'Merry Christmas' his friend wished him the day before. He could count on his hand the holidays that passed which Ranger never acknowledged. If his got 'Happy Birthday' from him, it was a good year. "You were stranded with nothing better to pass the time so Santa gave you a haircut?" He touched a few shorter strands with a finger and they fell right back into position. "It's good."

"Thanks, Paul Mitchell." Ranger remembered the hairdresser's name where Stephanie mentioned she trained. "No, Stephanie, who invited me to spend Christmas, did it. She works in a salon. How was your Christmas?"

"Fine," Tank said suspiciously thinking it might be a trick question. "I made it over to Lula's for a while on Christmas Eve to take her to church and went back over on Christmas to open presents. She bought me a new leather vest with a Cobra tooled in it and she was very pleased with the faux silver fox jacket Santa left for her." As he told Ranger about the gifts, Tank wiggled his eyebrows and had a big grin. That wasn't all he got. "How was yours being stranded? Not too good?"

"Actually it was the best I had in a very long time. Stephanie's cat was hiding in the Christmas tree waiting for it's fantasy bird, I peeled potatoes and helped with dinner, we raced cars on her son's racetrack, played 'Rock'em Sock'em Robots', and walked to a park to listen to Christmas carols. It was simplicity wrapped in caring goodness."

"Uh huh," Tank nodded with disbelief written all over his face. He was almost nose-to-nose with Ranger, brown eyes searching brown eyes. "Who are you and where is the Bad Ass?"

Ranger had the audacity to grin white teeth and all. "This will make your day. Reilley considers us an elite group of Black Army Power Rangers. He's four."

Frozen by the words, Tank was gauging if he were serious. Nothing would surprise him, well almost nothing. He was still digesting the 'Merry Christmas' in the e-mail. "You're joking right? I'm not wearing a spandex suit with my jewels in sight."

"Stranger things could happen," Ranger laughed going out his door.

"What planet are you from?" Tank yelled after his cackling friend. "FUCK! What am I saying? What planet am I on? It's a dream," he said sitting back down at his safe desk. "It has to be a dream."

Next, Ranger would test his cousin Lester's reaction to his new look. This was fun. He was strolling down the hallway from his cubicle. His nose was in the one of his girlie magazines. The centerfold must have big breasts because he was salivating. He stopped aware there was someone in his vicinity.

"Hi, you must be new here. I'm Lester," Lester Santos said to the man in the hallway with short dark hair. He reached for his hand shaking it and ogling the picture of the red head in his other.

Ranger glared at his employee and cousin, and then decided to play Santos if he was that dumb. There was no way they were related! "Phil Maweeney," he said shaking hands.

"Welcome to Rangeman, Phil" he greeted. "You look a little like Ranger so you'll fit in, but I hope with more personality." Lester walked away after his reference to his cousin heading into Tank's office for a Ranger update, but was very concentrated on the latest 'Playboy' issue in his hands. "Hey, Tank, you never said anything about a new employee starting. When's Ranger getting here? Look at these tits!" The Rangeman employee was holding up the centerfold in front of him to show the 'interim' boss.

The big man looked up confused who Lester was talking about and the boss just arrived. Didn't he see him? His partner Bobby moseyed into the office.

"Nice boobs. Who's new?" Bobby asked.

Lester looked from one man to another because they seemed confused saying seriously, "Phil Maweeney. Come to think of it he didn't look like a 'Phil'.

Tank lunged over his desk yelling, "I'm not feeling anything of yours, Santos!"

Bobby was holding his sides laughing, "Phil Maweeney. Feel my weenie."

"He's not a new employee?" Now Lester was stumped. Who did he just welcome to Rangeman? "Phil Maweeney that's what he said. I think someone punked me."

"WHO?" Bobby and Tank said together.

A voice boomed behind them, "I go away for a few months and my company falls to an idiot, Santos! And we're related!"

"Ranger?" Lester whipped around seeing the man with the short hair he didn't recognize as his boss. "You said you were Phil Maweeney."

"And you're an idiot!" Ranger called disappearing in the hallway. He laughed the whole way down the hall. He thinks his office is in an uproar.

"Where's Ranger's hair?" Lester was questioning his friends.

Bobby commented, "Where did he get the personality?"

"Hair? Sense of humor? I'm still trying to get a grip on him wishing me a 'Merry Christmas'!" Tank yelled throwing his arms up. He walked out of his office reading 'P. Thomas Sherman' on the name plate. "This is my office," he muttered walking back to his desk. Tank tossed papers off his desk in the air. "What the HELL is going on around here?"

XXXXXXXXXXX I posted a link of Ranger's new hair cut on my profile. Lee Anne


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. I did post a link on my profile of how I imagined Ranger's new hair. Thanks, Lee Anne**_

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_Chapter 8_

He let himself in his best friend's apartment on the top floor of the Rangeman building. Tank, the big, African-American, bald as a cue ball man, was the size of a tank. If he body slammed anyone with the massive, broad chest, they would be on their back counting stars for days. It was a solid mass that would make a good example for a Physics class. Ranger was gone longer than the second-in-command expected on a client meeting and was surprised he returned with shopping bags. Tank had checked his trackers, he was at Quakerbridge Mall. The man never shopped, he sent Ella. On the breakfast bar were two elegantly wrapped presents in shining blue metallic paper with perfect silver bows. He read the names Ranger wrote recognizing his Italic like handwriting. 'Stephanie' and 'Reilley'. Who were they? Tank knew all the names in the Manoso family and there weren't any members with those names. Heck, Tank knew his family better than Ranger did. His mother called Tank just to check-up on her wayward son to see if he was even alive. Then he remembered, Reilley thought they were 'Power Rangers'. A hand rubbed his forehead; he was loosing his mind because of this 'Ranger' and short hair.

Turning around, he walked over to the fireplace. On the brick hearth was a small artificial Christmas tree with only two ornaments he could see. A small bright green tree cut out of bendy stuff with colored dots and a yellow star glued at the tip. The other one made him chuckle, it was a keychain with a little blue Power Ranger dangling on a branch. There was a Northwood's mug sitting under it and an open crossword puzzle book with one complete on the coffee table. These only added to the mystery afloat. Mostly, it was the short, trimmed haircut he was sporting not his longer hair in a ponytail. It was how he wore it most of the time Tank had known him. Also on his list of things in question was Ranger's demeanor. He smiled and it didn't crack his Cuban face! Tank felt like his universe was a little off kilter. Just what happened while he was stranded by the snow? That was the million-dollar question. Maybe Tank should get a DNA test going to verify it was really Carlos Manoso because the idea of an imposter was making sense.

"What are you doing here, Nosy?" Ranger asked from his bedroom door watching his best friend check-out his small after-Christmas sale tree with Reilley's homemade gift and the Power Ranger keychain on it for decorations. It was all it needed, it was just right.

"I wanted to find out where you went earlier? You came back with shopping bags."

He was casually leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed holding a black leather jacket as if he was the cover of ''Playgirl' that woman would clamber to buy. Dressed in faded jeans, a tight long sleeved Henley, and casual leather shoes. "Are you my personal assistant now?" His damn Cuban eyebrow arched to match the smirk on his face.

"What if you ran into trouble?"

He pushed off the doorway with ease and slipped on the coat knowing he was irritating his best friend. Tank watched a black knitted scarf go around his neck and under the open jacket. "I would have called."

Tank followed him over to the breakfast bar where he picked up the two presents, then his keys in the dish on the entry table. He asked knowing he wasn't going to get anything but a cryptic Cuban answer, "Where are you going now?"

"Out," he said opening his apartment door. Glancing down at the carpet, "What's that?" he questioned. There wasn't anything on the carpet.

Tank stopped stooping down. No one was in Ranger's apartment while he was gone except Ella to dust. "Where? I don't see anything."

The door closed quickly and by the time Tank realized it and opened it back up, the elevator was closing. He heard Ranger's laughter going down.

"Where's Ranger?" an aggravated Tank stomped into the control room on 5.

Lester was filling in on monitor duty pulled up a screen and switched on camera showing the underground parking garage. Zooming in the focus, Ranger was laughing behind the wheel of his black Porsche pulling out onto the street. "Why?" he inquired to his fellow Ranger.

"He's going somewhere and wouldn't tell me."

"Our Ranger?" his regular partner Bobby asked next to him.

Tank was getting more provoked. "Do you know any other? Augh, that MAN!"

The screen that was up went blank when the map of the area showed the car turned right two blocks up the street. "He turned off his trackers." Lester toggled to another screen. "Yup, his car and cell phone."

"I'll find him," Tank clomped determinedly out of the room yelling for Hector, the company's computer geek.

"That man isn't getting the best of me!" Tank grumbled. Hector was able to hack into the sports car's computer determining the car drove 5.2 miles from Rangeman before it stopped. He had a city map on his desk marked in quadrants and now with a compass was figuring where he could possibly be 5.2 miles from Rangeman. He knew the direction he turned so he eliminated a left portion of Trenton and excluded any business and shopping areas. Now he just needed to figure where in the open section of the city his protractor and crisscrossing lines indicated his Boss was visiting with presents.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"I'll get it," Stephanie's father got up from his chair having made his last roll of the die in their 'Yahtzee' game.

"I bet it's a date for me," Stephanie's grandmother called after him blowing on her hands and getting the '5' she needed for her 'Large Straight'. "I'm on a lucky streak."

Opening the door Frank Plum almost fainted seeing a tall man with short hair standing on his porch with presents in his hands. "Please don't tell me you're the old bat's date or I'm a monkey's uncle. Come to think of it, tell me you are and take her away."

Ranger Manoso had never been greeted like that and was taken aback by it. "Are you Frank Plum?" He thought he had the correct address recognizing Stephanie's Baja parked in the driveway.

"Yes, something tells me you're Stephanie's Christmas guest. Come in. If you say you're my mother-in-law's date, then, Son, run."

"Is Stephanie here?" he asked so it was crystal clear who he was there to see.

Mr. Plum opened the storm door wider for the muscular man in a leather jacket to step inside. "Come on in. We were playing 'Yahtzee'."

"Ranger?" Stephanie said surprised by the visitor standing in the archway of her parent's dining room.

He nodded seeing the female eyes of who had to be her mother and 'crazy' Grandma focused on him. "I wanted to give you these for your hospitality." Ranger handed her two packages he wrapped himself in blue paper he bought which matched her beautiful eyes.

She read the elegant handwriting on the tail of the bows. One said 'Reilley' and one was hers. "You didn't have to do this. We enjoyed having you." He watched her eyes twinkle. "Can I open it?" she asked and handed her son his gift.

"This is beautiful," Stephanie whispered holding up a long cream sweater with a deep cuff at the wide neckline, it was designed to rest on her shoulders. "Thank you." She didn't think about it hugging Ranger around his neck.

"Mommy, look at this!" Reilly opened up a round tire filled with 'Matchbox' cars in 48 small compartments. "Thanks, Power Ranger! I'll be racing these."

He averted his eyes from the blue ones he was peering into with Stephanie standing in front of him. "I'm glad you like those, Blue Power Ranger."

The little boy had crawled up in his grandfather's chair. "These are great!"

"Mom, Dad, Grandma, this is Carlos Manoso. He is the stranded soldier who spent Christmas with Reilley and me."

Mr. Plum was shaking his hand. "Hello. My daughter gave me a good report on you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Stephanie shook her head. "My mother had Christmas dinner for us," she elaborated, "so until we were ready for pineapple upside down cake, we were playing 'Yahtzee'."

Stephanie's father came back with bottles of beer between his fingers and a reindeer cup. "Pull up a chair," passing them around the table. His wife came out with plates on a tray of dessert.

He slipped off his jacket, which Stephanie took to hang in the closet, and sat down in the chair next to hers. He was passed a score sheet and a pencil. Ranger was playing, too. "I played with my family around our large dining room table. I one of six Cuban children."

"I was hoping you were a date," Grandma Mazur piped up after taking a swig of her beer. "I need to get out on the town. Call me Edna or Hot Cakes if you prefer."

"Mother," Ellen Plum quipped, "you just got back from the Casino and were on TV, stay awhile."

"I need adventure and some sex thrown in, Ellen!"

"Please, Mother, we have company and a little boy here!"

Reilley crawled up on his mother's lap to shake the die in the cup. "Grandma, Great-Grandma likes to have fun just like me and Grandpa when we fix things."

"Reilley, I wish you and your mother were closer because Grandpa holds all his little projects until you get here."

"Ellen," Frank Plum spoke up, "I need a helper."

Mrs. Plum glared at her husband from the other end of the table quickly glancing at her daughter. She rolled her eyes. "Tell me another."

"Grandma, we're fixing the squeaky door tomorrow after we go to the hardware store."

Ellen Plum smiled at her sweet grandson. "Thank you, Reilley. It started making noise right after you left the last time." She gave her husband wide blue-grey eyes.

"Your turn, Ellen," her husband said changing the subject.

"This is a usual evening at my parents," Stephanie whispered to Ranger. "Any reaction to your new look?" Stephanie brushed her fingers over his silky hair like she did it all the time and it went back in place.

"A few of my guys did double takes and my idiot cousin who may be on the unemployment line thought I was a new employee. It may have been something to do with the latest issue of his 'girlie' magazine in his hand," Ranger growled. "He bought it when I told him my name was Phil." He stopped speaking glancing at her son happily sitting there with his mother. Under his breath he said, "Maweeney."

Stephanie's eyes got big.

"Phil Maweenie! We would get mail at April Fool's Day addressed to him," Frank bust out.

Grandma Mazur added, "I'd like to feel a weenie sometime."

"Mother!"

"Great-Grandma, there's hot dogs in the refrigerator," Reilley told her in the innocence of a four-year-old.

The table was laughing so hard, the game stopped.

Still chuckling, Ranger thought of something as he was trying to catch up at Rangeman. "Can I ask you something?"

Stephanie nodded and the attention of the table was on Ranger.

"You know my company, Rangeman, brings in the 'FTA's or 'Failure to Appears' which Vinnie that you don't talk about bonds. We only have two more days to bring in someone and my men haven't been able to locate him. They have been watching his house on Hudson, but there doesn't seem to be anyone around it, and haven't picked up any leads on him Tank told me bringing me up to speed at the office."

"Who is it?" Stephanie asked. Living in Wilmington, she was sort of out of touch, but her father driving the cab part-time and her Grandma gossiping at the 'Cut N' Curl' might be of help.

"A guy name Chi Chi Leotardo. He's wanted for robbing several cigarette shops and selling stolen property."

Grandma was bouncing in her chair. "That's 'Peanuts'. He got the nickname because he got a pair of small ones!"

The table was looking at Grandma. "That's the word around the beauty shop," her voice was gleeful. It sounded more personal. "Hold on." Edna Mazur pulled a hot pink cell phone out of her pocket. "Rosie, it's me. Do you know anything on Peanuts Leotardo? A friend of Stephanie's wants to get in touch with him. It's a surprise. He tried his house on Hudson. OK, pass it on. Call me with any info. Thanks, I had a good time hanging with Santa and the elf. I'm already at the top of the 'good' list for next Christmas. See ya." She closed her cell phone. "Rosie is going to call the other girls."

"Thank you, Edna, for your help," Ranger said politely, but he was wary of Stephanie's crazy grandmother.

"Think nothing of it," she told him. "I need snake eyes!" Grandma Mazur let out rolling the die.

Ranger motioned to Stephanie, he wanted to ask something else. "My employees are having a New Year's Eve party at the building, would you come, Stephanie? Connie is coming if you wanted to catch up," Ranger invited adding the bit about Connie hoping that she wouldn't feel out of place.

"Go, Pumpkin. Be with people your own age. Reilley will be here with us. Grandpa will get some fire crackers and sparklers for the backyard to set off," Frank Plum told his family.

That perked up the little boy. "We can go to the hardware store, Grandpa!"

"Stephanie, you can come down to the Clock Building on Hooter with me and the girls for New Year's Eve. It's almost as popular as Times Square!"

She looked at the man next to her with his raised eyebrow. "Why, Grandma?" she asked. There had to be a story to go with it.

"Shy Jo Jo Marco drops his pants in the top window for the countdown. He has tattoos on his ass. He puts a rocket between his cheeks and when he wiggles them it looks like someone is smoking. At Midnight, he launches the rocket out the window with a good one. It's a sight! He's never been burned yet!"

Ranger couldn't look at anyone around the table. He put his fork down stammering, "Excuse me," getting up from the table.

Stephanie found him in the living room holding onto her father's recliner laughing and attempting to breathe. She began patting his back. "Ranger, are you all right?"

His Cuban face was red when his eyes met hers. "I never heard anything so crazy!"

"It's the 'Burg'," she said as if it happened every day, "things like that go on all the time."

Walking back into the dining room, Grandma Mazur's cell phone was ringing to the sounds of "Let's Rumble!" Ranger was shaking his head taking his place at the table again to finish his cake.

"Yeah! Uh huh, uh huh. Really? Uh huh. Okie dokie. I'll pass it along. Thank all the girls." Grandma said ending her call. "You're in luck," Grandma told Ranger pointing a bony finger at him. He was fighting to keep a straight face. "We got a couple of leads. Peanuts as a boy stole Mrs. Turner's prize tomatoes she believes and gave them to his Grandma Katchie or something like that. She made sauce with them and won first place at St. Luigi's cook-off. Since that day, old Mrs. Turner hates his guts! Clara from the 'Cut n' Curl' lives next door. She saw Mrs. Turner almost run him over with her shopping cart last week. She can't stand him to this day for stealing her tomatoes."

Frank Plum banged a fist on the table. "What does not have to do with anything?"

"I'm giving a little background here."

"We don't have all night, Crazy Old Bat! Reilley has a bed time!"

"Any way," Edna Mazur continued. "Clara called her because of what she witnessed. Mrs. Turner's nephew is a refuse worker, but he also steals cans and aluminum out of the garbage to take to the recycling center for extra money. He told her the house you've been watching is where Peanut's mother keeps her Guinea pigs she raises because they smell, so you want to dump that place. Dreama, another of my BFF's from the salon, has a niece who works at the Yoga place, 'Breathe and Touch Your Toes' says Peanut's girlfriend, Claudia, lives in an apartment above Mr. Griffin's pretzel place next door, 'Twisted Dough' on 19th Street. She bartends at 'Louie's Busted Cue Stick' around the corner so you may catch Peanuts there, too."

Ranger blinked, let out a breath, and then hit '1' on his cell phone. "Yo. Who's watching for Leotardo? I got a tip. The mother raises Guinea pigs there. Tell them to try a bar, 'Louie's Busted Cue Stick' near 19th. His girlfriend tends bar there, or try her apartment over 'Twisted Dough'."

"He's called 'Peanuts' because of his tiny balls!" Grandma yelled.

Tank questioned in Ranger's ear, "Who's that? Where are you?"

"It's complicated. Call me if there are any problems. I'll see you tomorrow." Ranger closed his cell phone knowing Tank was probably trying to find him and would never believe Ranger if he could even repeat half of what Stephanie's Grandma Mazur told them.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Tank dialed Lester with the information dumbfounded how Ranger would discover this and who was the woman's voice. His organized, regimented world was in a tailspin hurdling to the Trenton Earth. What the HELL happened in Wilmington? Ranger said 'See you tomorrow'. That was another new catch phrase in his lingo! It had to be code for something!

"Yo, Tank," Lester answered just arriving at the stakeout on Hudson.

"Forget watching the house. There are Guinea pigs there. Go to 'Busted Cue Stick' near 19th. Peanuts Leotardo with the small balls has a girlfriend who works there and she lives over 'Twisted Dough'," the big man instructed.

"Where did you get this Intel?" Lester questioned. He indicated for Bobby to start the SUV again. "Let's head to 19th."

"Ranger."

"Are you sure it was Ranger? Maybe it was the new guy pretending to be Ranger."

"Sure, Phil Macweenie. Go get the skip."

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"How dressed up will your company party be? I didn't bring dressy clothes except for your beautiful sweater," Stephanie asked now that things settled back down to finish the 'Yahtzee' game.

Ranger knew his guys wouldn't dress up. "Casual. I'll bring you home anytime you want."

"OK. Reilley will be happy spending the evening with Grandpa. We could drive by the Clock Building for the countdown show," she giggled.

"I don't think unless you really want to."

The door bell rang.

"Now who?" Frank slammed the die down on the table.

"It's a date," Grandma called out again.

He mumbled, "This is not 'Let's Make A Date', but if there's a kook behind the mystery door to take you away, I'm not stopping him!"

Standing on his front porch is a short, Italian man with big round black glasses, long black coat, Fedora with a feather, and should have been carrying a Tommy gun. He couldn't be any taller than his crazy mother-in-law. "Does Edna live here?"

"Yeah. Are you here to take her out?"

"Yes, I am. You must be her grumpy son-in-law she talks about. I'm Louie 'Kneecaps' Stefano," he introduced himself shaking Mr. Plum's hand.

"Come on in." He was thinking Edna's date was missing his kneecaps because he was so short. "What's that?" Frank pointed to a small car at the curb. "Is that a Flintstone car that you use your feet for power?"

"No, those went out along time ago. That's my grandson's electric Smart Car. He's letting me borrow it for the night."

Grandma Mazur came out followed by her family and their guest. "Louie!"

"Edna, I got my grandson's car for the night. Want to go get a brewski with me?"

"You are such a sweet talker. Let me get my coat." Grandma went to the coat closet and Mr. Stefano held it for her. "Don't wait up for me."

They watched the two small seniors walk down the sidewalk with Edna on his arm. "Frank, we don't know anything about him," a concerned Ellen Plum told her husband. Frank Plum was glad his mother-in-law was gone for a few hours and watched the little car drive off.

"He's breathing and how far can they go on an extension cord. Don't worry about your mother. She finds her way back all the time," he said closing the door. "Where's the dice?"

_**XXXXXXXXXX**_

Ranger was putting on his leather jacket to leave. Tank called him, the skip Lester and Bobby caught at the bar. He asked again how Ranger got the information on Ch Chi Leotardo and Ranger responded with "Complicated" to drive his friend crazy.

Stephanie's son and her father were going up the steps because Grandpa was tucking him tonight and reading. Pudding came out of the living room following them.

"I met with a client today. He thought I really liked his office Christmas tree. I was peeking in it in case there was a cat. I don't think I'll ever look at one the same way," Ranger chuckled.

"We've corrupted your Christmas tree image for all time," she said looking up with a twinkle in her blue eyes. "Oh, I have something for you." Running into the living room, she came back to the entry handing Ranger a dark blue frame.

It was the picture of Stephanie, Ranger, and Reilley by the sleigh in the park.

"Thank you, Stephanie." Ranger ran a long Cuban finger along the frame and traced their forms. "It was a special Christmas for me."

"Me, too."

"Is 8:00 good on New Year's Eve to pick you up?"

Nodding her head, she was looking forward to the party. She and her best friend made plans to go to the mall for some after-Christmas retail shopping tomorrow. She would look for a pair of heels and leggings on sale at Macy's to wear with her new sweater. Her parents and Grandmother each gave her a gift card to one of her favorite stores as her present. A mischievous expression came to her face. "You still want to pick me up after tonight?

Ranger didn't need to think twice. "Yes. It was a fun evening and Rangeman got its skip."

"It's just another night in the 'Burg'. I'll be ready and thank you for our gifts."

"You're welcome," he said softly. His head bent down kissing her 'Good Night'. Neither one couldn't miss the Mistletoe hanging in the entryway.

_**XXXXXXXXXXX**_

The frame with the picture of Christmas night was placed beside his bed in his 7th floor apartment. Ranger gazed at it before he turned off the bedside lamp.

He smiled. He may not be stranded with Stephanie and Reilley any longer, but his Christmas memory would be right there when he went to sleep and woke up in the morning. It was a good feeling.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_Chapter 9_

Before Ranger could end the morning meeting, Lester stood up. "Ranger or Phil if that's your code name, tell us your concerned employees, what's with the new do? That has thrown us a little."

He stood there, his arms folding across his tight black T-shirt rocking on his heels. His face was straight as an arrow with his eyes scanning the faces of confused men, the biggest one Tank. It was taking all of his self control to maintain the 'blank' face he perfected. When he returned to Rangeman last night, he discovered the folded city map on his second-in-command's desk with intersecting lines of his whereabouts. On purpose, Ranger avoided his friend before the morning meeting. He did push-ups and sit-ups this morning in his apartment instead of the gym. He'll go down later to run on the treadmill and lift weights. He's usually there with Tank after 5 in the mornings. Ella brought him breakfast upstairs and he read the morning paper in his apartment, locked in with the dead bolt set. Tank was biting at the bit about last night and Ranger decided he was going to have fun.

"Haircut."

All the men were looking at one another and re-focused on the boss, but he wasn't talking.

"Meeting dismissed."

"So what did you do last night?" Tank stepped right in front of Ranger stopping the Boss before he walked out of the large conference room following the morning update. "How did you get the tip on our skip?"

With an all-knowing expression, he said one word. "Yahtzee." Side stepping the big man, he called back, "And pineapple upside down cake."

"What did he say?" Bobby and Lester ran over to the next-in-command huddled like in secret. They weren't very obvious.

Tank stared after his friend for a moment, and then turned his attention to his co-workers. "Yahtzee and pineapple upside down cake."

"If he played 'Yahtzee', then I'm Miss Universe," Lester busts out laughing.

Bobby agreed, "Me, too. I'm the runner-up." Their ex-Army buddy was the most un-game playing man on the face of the Earth. They were lucky if he played Poker with the guys once a year.

"He's driving me into a breakdown!" Tank snarled. "I may need a cruise to settle my nerves with a big alcohol filled drink the whole time in my hand."

"Tank, go on a Disney Cruise. I heard they are really fun," Lester suggested.

He glared at Ranger's cousin and his nostrils flared. Stomping off to his office he yelled, "Maybe I'll take Phil Maweeney with me!" He logged onto his laptop and into a secured government site. "These have to be code words for something! I just don't know what!" He was typing 'Yahtzee' and 'Pineapple Upside Down Cake' into a code word reference and scrambler.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Ranger buzzed his housekeeper when he sat down at his desk. "Ella, make sure if you buy party hats for New Year's Eve, there are a couple of crowns," he chuckled.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"That was fun," Mary Lou told her best friend, Stephanie, walking into Pino's for pizza. The backseat of Stephanie's SUV was loaded with bags. The two 'Burg' girls spent the morning catching up at Quakerbridge Mall for after-Christmas sales. Stephanie spent every last penny on her gift cards. That was a special treat. Both she and Reilley had some new clothes for the New Year. Cream leggings, gold belt and earrings, and a low pair of boots with heels were purchased to complete her outfit for the Rangeman party.

Mary Lou's husband took the morning off from his family's plumbing business to stay with their three sons so his wife could gossip and shop with Stephanie. He and the boys including Reilley were waiting at a table for the girls.

"Mommy!" the little boy went running right into his mother's arms.

"Did you have fun with Grandpa?"

"We fixed the squeaky door and was at the hardware store. After, we got new handles for Grandma's cupboard to put on," he told her about his morning.

"Good," she kissed him. Only for daycare in Wilmington while she worked, they were never apart. "Thanks for picking him up, Lenny," she told her best friend's husband.

"What's a minivan for?"

Mary Lou kissed Lenny's cheek. "Thank you, Lenny, for staying with the boys."

"I know you needed to get out after being stuck with our sons, Mary Lou. You deserved it."

""You're still my best husband after all these years. Let's order so you can go to work."

Stephanie and Reilley were enjoying their favorite pizza with their friends. Mr. Pino, the owner, welcomed Stephanie back. She and Mary Lou were constants at his restaurant occupying the small front booth during high school and into college.

"Mommy! Look, the Black Army Power Ranger is here!" Reilley cried out putting his pizza down. The entire restaurant had to hear. Stephanie saw Ranger chuckle behind dark aviator sunglasses he was removing.

"If that's a Power Ranger," Mary Lou said, "I'm going to start watching the show."

He was head to toe black wearing a black leather bomber jacket, cargos, boots, and a hint of a shirt showing through the open zipper. There was a wide belt slug low on his hips, a pistol was in a holster against his leg, and moved with his smooth body movements. He was heading straight for the table Stephanie and her friends were occupying. Ranger stopped when Reilley ran over and nodded his head when the little boy said something to him.

"Is this how Black Army Power Rangers dress?" the little boy asked pointing to the holster and steel hand cuffs on his belt.

Ranger said answering him, "I have to get the bad guys to the police station somehow." He got a kick out of Reilley thinking he was a Power Ranger and he was the best in what he did. It was the stretch of the facts, but he did catch the 'bad guys'.

"Wow!"

He walked with Stephanie's son the final few steps to reach her. "Hello."

"Hello, Ranger. A regular hang out of yours?" Stephanie asked barely able to take her eyes off the handsome man in his work clothes. She didn't know bounty hunting could look so good.

He leaned down with a hand resting on the back of her chair. 'I've been known to, Stephanie." His dark eyes only saw her in the crowded restaurant.

"Would you like to join us? This is my best friend, Mary Lou, her husband, Lenny, and their sons, Billy, Mikey, and Kenny."

He shook hands with Lenny Stankovic and Mary Lou sighed when he removed his jacket showing hard, muscled body. "It's very nice to meet you," he said claiming the empty chair on the other side of his blue eyed Christmas hostess.

A waitress brought over a plate and Lenny poured him a glass of beer from the pitcher. Stephanie laid a slice of warm pizza on it for him.

_**XXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Tank!" Hal yelled for him from the control room.

He came running across the hall, "What?"

"Ranger's Porsche was heading here and suddenly turned around. He was a few blocks from here."

Tank dialed Ranger's cell phone. It rang going straight to voicemail. "Where is he?"

"The trackers went off," Hal pointed to his screen.

The big man studied the screen of Ranger's last known location. "Hold down everything. Ranger is not getting away this time," he called running for his keys and to the elevator going down to the Rangeman garage. "Hector, hack into that Porsche computer again for me!" he shouted zipping his leather jacket jumping on the elevator.

_**XXXXXXXXXXX**_

Ranger noticed the level of chatter around the restaurant went up. Casually looking towards the front window, he saw why. He picked up a massive form

at the corned of the window showing through the red and white checked curtains covering the lower half of the front window. He would know that body form anywhere. He couldn't miss the reflection of sunlight off the bald head peeking above it.

Mr. Pino was talking with his customer and nonchalantly stopped at Stephanie's table pretending to check on an almost empty pitcher of beer.

"Doesn't he belong to you?" Mr. Pino asked Ranger.

He was chuckling at his stalker. His big body no matter how Tank tried wasn't hidden. "Yeah, do you mind if I have some fun?"

"No, he's making my customers nervous."

"What are you going to do?" Stephanie questioned. The faces around the table were watching the security expert.

Carefully, Ranger slipped his cell phone off his belt and dialed a number.

"Trenton Police, how can we help you?" a female voice questioned.

"Hello," Ranger said into his cell phone with an English accent. The speaker was turned down. "I was going in Pino's for a spot lunch and there is a very large bald man lurking about at the front window. He appears to possibly be up to no good peering into the window. He gave me a fright."

"What does he look like, Sir?"

"He's big and dressed in black like Jack the Ripper! He may be a Peeping Tom!"

Stephanie, her friends, and Mr. Pino were laughing with their hands over their mouths.

"I'll notify a squad car in the area. What is you name, Sir?"

"Phillip. Phil Maweeney."

'Thank you, Mr. Maweeney. An officer will check on the individual."

"I feel safe knowing you are there. Good Day," he said disconnecting his cell phone.

All the while Ranger was making his call, Tank was peeking in the window having located his friend in all the patrons.

Stephanie could barely talk, tears were on her cheeks. "How could you do that to your friend?"

"To teach him a lesson. If I want him to know something, I'll tell him. He was stalking me," Ranger said not able to contain his laughter.

"That was a good voice disguise, Power Ranger," Reilley concluded with his thumb up.

There were flashing lights within seconds and a big mass of a body was up against the window. Tank was waving his hands when the cops released him pointing in the window. Two officers were looking in spotting Ranger waving at him and he waved back.

A very angry bald African-American man comes stomping into Pino's and right up to his laughing boss sitting there eating pizza and drinking beer with a group of people like he belonged.

"What was that?" Tank barked.

Never getting up and taking a sip of his beer, Ranger said very evenly, "You were stalking me and not doing a very good job of it," he smirked. "Stephanie, this is Tank, my best friend."

All eyes were on the massive man. "I thought you were in trouble because your tracker indicated you turned around suddenly."

"You were being nosy."

Reilley came over to Tank. "Wow, you're the biggest Power Ranger I ever saw! I bet you get lots of bad guys!"

Stephanie stood up offering her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Tank. This is my son, Reilley. That's Mary Lou, Lenny, Kenny, Mikey, and Bobby. Would you like to join us?"

Tanks anger was dissipating quickly with the curly haired woman with endless blue eyes smiling at him and the little boy looking up with awe in his expression believing he was a Power Ranger. "You should have left his carcass on the cold church floor and we do get a lot of bad guys," he directed at the little boy. Tank sat down pouring beer into a glass and taking a piece of pizza.

"The 'Burg' Grapevine will be in full force," Mary Lou said noticing customers on their cell phones.

"What's the 'Burg Grapevine'?" Ranger asked never hearing about it.

Stephanie and Mary Lou gave each other eyes and burst out laughing.

"Information get's around faster than the Internet. It's an unexplained Cosmic Occurrence in the 'Burg' and how fast you can hit speed-dial," she attempted to tell him.

Mary Lou had an idea. "Stephanie, maybe you should demonstrate it," she said nudging her best friend.

Ranger agreed, "Show me."

Lenny was nodding. "I've lived here all my life, so let me see this. I've never understood it."

Stephanie got up from her seat without a word and quickly went around Ranger's side of the table since she was sitting at an end. Not giving him time to blink or giving it a second thought, she cupped his handsome face and kissed his lips. Mary Lou was laying a big one on her husband on the other side. Before she could take her seat again, her cell phone was ringing. She knew who it was without looking. Lenny's cell phone was ringing, too.

"Hi, Mom."

"Stephanie, this is your mother. Mrs. Bertuli just called. Her niece called her saying you were kissing some man in Pino's! Now why would you be doing that?"

She was laughing. Ranger was sitting there with a stunned expression still on his face. So was his friend.

"Mom, I kissed Carlos Manoso. I was demonstrating how fast the 'Burg Grapevine' worked."

"Mom," Lenny was saying into his cell phone, "my wife was kissing me in Pino's. Yes, I'm coming back to plumbing store. Mary Lou and Stephanie were shopping." He closed his phone with a big grin on his face. "It works on married people, too!"

"Well, if that was all, Stephanie," Ellen Plum said calmly. "Will you be here in time for dinner? I'm making spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread. Reilley requested it. Don't forget you promised Mother to drive her to a viewing."

"We'll be there and I'll take Grandma. Bye, Mom."

She never replaced her cell phone in her purse because very warm lips were kissing hers very gently. "I need another demonstration. I wasn't sure about the first."

Her hand began ringing and she placed it to her ear not saying a word. She was looking into soft chocolate eyes.

"Stephanie, this is your Mother. Mrs. Nash's next-door neighbor, Gloria Vito, just called Mrs. Bertuli. Carlos Manoso was kissing you now. What's going on at Pino's?"

"Uh huh. Bye, Mom." From her lips to her toes, she felt a warm tingle. Her phone was ringing but she ignored it because Stephanie's brain was all mush from the kiss.

Ranger chuckled, "It works in reverse. Would you like to go out tonight?"

Conscious thoughts were coming back. Reilley saying, "Mommy, he kissed you," also brought Stephanie back to reality.

"I promised my Grandma I would give her a ride to the funeral home and while she is there, Reilley and I were going to see the train display at the railway station and have ice cream. My Mom is making spaghetti and meatballs."

Ranger jumped at the offer, "What time?"

"6."

"I'll be there. Come on, Wolf Blitzer, here's a news flash, 'we have work to do'?" Ranger threw at his confused friend.

Tank reluctantly got up. "I was enjoying myself."

His eyebrow arched and a straight face was trying to be in place. "Want to stay employed?"

"You're no fun," the big guy grumbled beside him.

Reilley was waving, "Bye, Power Rangers."

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"So where was Ranger?" Lester asked before Tank could take a seat at his desk.

"At Pino's having a beer and pizza with people I didn't know. The woman, who took him in is gorgeous, let me tell you. Her little boy thinks we're Black Army Power Rangers and he's having spaghetti and meatballs at her parent's house tonight and going to look at the Christmas train display. He called the cops on me for spying on him at Pino's." Tank's anger was forgotten, he was in a state of disbelief.

Bobby the Medic looked at their friend. "Are you sure it was Ranger?"

"It could have been Phil Maweeney," Lester said shrugging his shoulders.

"I was sitting there with them at a table in Pino's!" Tank hit his pen on the edge of his desk. "I think I would know my best friend! But," he covered his eyes dragging his hands down his face, "I'm not sure who that man is. I want my grumpy Ranger! I knew what to expect from him and he had long hair!'"

"If he does that tonight, then I'm a River Boat Queen!" Lester commented.

Bobby agreed, "Me, too!"

Walking silently back to his office, Ranger was shaking his head chuckling. "Those two never learn," he thought sitting down at his desk typing in 'The Delta Queen'. "I'll make them queens." He had to decide which color Lester's hoop skirt should be and a color for Bobby's for their Mississippi River cruise.


	10. Chapter 10

Happy New Year! Lee Anne

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_**Chapter 10**_

"The only reason you got caught by Ranger, Tank, is you didn't have a disguise," Lester explained seriously to his friend. Bobby was nodding in agreement. "Learn from the masters," he said with misguided confidence.

"I don't know," Tank said hedging. One encounter with Mr. Funny Bone was enough for the day.

Bobby asked, "Don't you want to know what's up with Ranger?"

"Of course."

"Here," Lester handed Tank something. "We have a plan."

_**XXXXXXXXX**_

Ranger parked his Porsche at the curb in front of the Plum's detached house on Roosevelt Street behind Stephanie's blue Baja. He gulped seeing her wickedly smiling Grandma Mazur and mother standing in the open storm door like they were on watch. He saw Mr. Plum's head pop up.

"You are a brave one, Son," Frank greeted opening the door for him.

His eyebrow up questioning him. "Why, Sir?"

"You came back after last night and call me Frank."

"Thank you for having me," he said handing her mother a bottle of red wine from his private stock.

She looked at the label running her fingers over the raised design of a wooden cask with grapes overflowing from it and Italian lettering. She held it up to her husband to translate the name.

"Vigna del perfetto sole," Frank spoke. "Vineyard of the Perfect Sun."

Reilley came running out with a 'Matchbox' car in each hand. "Power Ranger, you came back!"

"I wouldn't miss seeing the trains you have to show me."

"It will be great, huh, Mommy?"

Stephanie was following her little boy from the living room. "Of course, Sweetheart. Hi, Ranger."

"Hi, Yourself." He squeezed her fingers handing her his leather jacket which she was waiting to hang up along with his black scarf she knitted. "How was your date, Edna?"

"It was a hum dinger after if got going. We swung by the 'Busted Cue Stick' to help with the take down, but your guys already got him and were outta there. We had a brewski and watched two guys fight over whose quarter was next in line for the pool table. Louie knows some good spots for being short. We ended the night at 'The Soap Box' laudromat. There's a massage parlor across the street and it was the cop's night to raid it. I recognized the local councilman, Kip Bernini, being dragged out. I bet his three hundred pound plus wife has already contacted the lawyer on the billboard by the tunnel. The one with the thick unibrow. I smell divorce."

Ranger was chuckling. It was more than he expected, but he quickly got the idea that Stephanie's grandmother liked to talk and had a pulse on the uncommon goings on around town. "Thanks for giving me an update."

The spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread were waiting on the table. Stephanie cut her son's spaghetti and meatball for him before she took her place next to Ranger. Edna was alone across the table because he had not been warned about her roaming hands.

Everyone raised their wine glass including Reilley with his Rudolph cup when Grandma lifted hers. "A Merry Christmas this December to a lot of folks I don't remember. This is smooth," Grandma told Ranger after taking a sip and wiggling her eyebrows at him. After that he kept his eyes averted.

"Crazy Loon," Frank muttered spooning spaghetti on his plate with the slotted one.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"That was the best spaghetti, Grandma," her grandson hugged his grandmother with his coat on ready to leave.

"Thank you, Reilley," she hugged her sweet grandson back, "you are Grandma's best food critic." She always made his favorite foods when her daughter and grandson visited.

"Enjoy the trains and tomorrow night is 'Lodge Night' at the light display so we'll get the good cherry flavored candy canes," Frank picked up his only grandson kissing his cheek. Reilley was his pride and joy. "You're welcome to come with us, Ranger. We can all pile in the Buick." He noticed his daughter's Christmas guest give her a quizzical glance. "We've seen you the last two nights, why break the streak."

"This is Daddy's annual Christmas outing next to church on Christmas Eve." Stephanie detailed the trip for him, "On the night that the lodge volunteers run the Holiday Light Display through Cosgrove park and around the mansion there, we would all hop into the Buick so Daddy could drive us through. The Elks Lodge handed out cherry flavored candy canes each year. We've done it every year since I was a little girl."

"And I'm taking my Pumpkins again." Frank said with pride.

"I hope you don't have to hold a flashlight on a display like last year, Frank," Ellen told him.

"Well, at least we got through it before that raccoon dropped a dead fish on the transformer to fry his dinner. It was cold standing there shining a flashlight on the display for people in line when it happened."

"At least the electric company were able to get the lights on before Mother's shadow puppets got too obscene!" Ellen said hoping to forget Edna Mazur helping out by doing shadow puppets on Santa's workshop.

"I was providing entertainment making a bad situation a little better," Grandma told them buttoning her coat and getting her purse for the funeral parlor.

Frank grumbled, "You are a bad situation."

"Frank, my company owns a few large SUV's, we could use one so everyone is comfortable," Ranger suggested.

While he was mulling it over, Stephanie reminded her father, "Daddy, Reilley has to be in a car seat.

"OK, we'll go for comfort," her father agreed.

"What should Grandma make for dinner tomorrow, Sweetheart? Ellen asked her grandson.

He didn't have to think long. "Can we have that soup with the baby meatballs?" he asked with his fingers making a small circle. "It will warm our bellies."

"Wedding soup? Grandma will make roast beef sandwiches to go with it."

"I like it." He peeked in the living room waving at the Christmas tree. "Bye, Pudding."

The tree made it's normal 'Meow'.

"That cat is crazy," Frank laughed looking in with his grandson.

"I hope you don't mind us taking my car, but Reilley does have to be secured in a car seat," Stephanie reminded Ranger not knowing how much experience he had with children.

"No."

She jingled her keys. "I'll let you drive."

That made him chuckle taking the keys.

Stephanie directed the way to 'Morten's Funeral Parlor" for her Grandma's viewing.

"I'm sorry you lost someone you knew, Edna," the driver said pulling over at the curb in front of the large red building.

"Willie 'Trees' Greenley I didn't know well, just from BINGO. He was a brown noser. He always got there early to get a seat near the caller so he could see the numbers first and call out 'BINGO' before anyone else. I'm just going for the socializing and cookies. Maybe Louie got a ride or I'll find me another date. There's always fish in the sea."

"Call me when you're ready to leave, Grandma," Stephanie told her for a ride back home.

She said from the backseat, "Okie Dokie!" She closed the backdoor and they watched her saunter up the sidewalk. An old man shuffled down to give her his arm.

"She is an original, Stephanie," Ranger told her adjusting the rear view mirror again.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, I think my stalker didn't learn his lesson today. I've noticed a dark SUV on my way to your parent's house and since we left weaving in and out of cars behind us," he said with mirth in his voice. It looked like a Hummer which Tank drove so he wasn't too concerned. Before he left Rangeman, he caught Lester and Bobby with their heads together whispering near the stairwell and Tank was nowhere on 5. He checked the monitors all through the building and no best friend. Cal said he went out about 10 minutes before, he was slumped down behind the wheel of his Hummer a block up on a side street from the building. Instead of going straight to his Porsche in the garage, Ranger stopped at the lobby only to catch his two other employees hurdling out the front door. He gave a 'death glare' at Julius posted at the front desk saying "I was never here," stepping back on the elevator.

"Didn't see a thing," his employee declared and didn't want to know.

Parking in a empty spot right by the entrance, Ranger ran around holding Stephanie's door and waited for her to unbuckle her son and Woody in the other seat belt.

Stephanie stopped him when Ranger reached for his wallet. There was a sign inside the door 'FREE ADMISSION'. She was on a budget and Ranger understood that. He got them inside. "I'll be right back. Start checking out the displays," he whispered kissing her cheek slipping through people and out another entry door. He stayed in the shadows around the large parking lot searching the parked vehicles for one in particular. He saw not only one head from his spot but three heading towards the entrance.

"There you are?" Stephanie said surprised to feel a hand on her back. Just by the smart ass smirk on the handsome face she knew his friend Tank must be lurking about and didn't say anything else. She did hear him say "Babe."

Ranger noticed her blue eyes questioned the term. "You're a 'Babe' of an Angel like Father Francis said." Before he joined them, Ranger watched for a moment the wonder on both of their faces gazing at the first train. It was a newer model that read 'Santa Express' with elves in the engine. The miniature Santa and the reindeer were in the passenger cars he saw. A polar bear was standing on the caboose. They were both mesmerized sharing in it.

Stephanie noticed a few times Ranger kept glancing over at a display of Christmas Trees in an alcove of the train station's enormous lobby as they walked around all the different trains. "Is something wrong again with your stalker?"

He was trying to keep a straight face and appear unaware to his now trio of stalkers. "Behind the trees, not only is Tank there, but my cousin, Lester, and his partner, Bobby. They are wearing disguises."

Stephanie bent down pointing out a train coming through a tunnel to her son. "Look at that train, Rye." She picked out three bodies and faces peeking around and through tree branches. "You mean the three guys with Groucho Marx mustaches?" Stephanie couldn't help giggling because she could see them and they were acting like no one could. They were wearing the round glasses with black eyebrows above attached to a fake nose and mustache. What was really funny, two of Rangemen were African-American and one Spanish watching with Caucasian noses and bushy black eyebrows. Like those didn't stand out!

"Yeah, the Keystone Cop wannabees. I need to teach all three of them a lesson that they'll never forget, but what?" Ranger said with visions of far away places dancing in his head and his three tied-up friends arriving in boxes.

"My Grandma is always up for a date," she suggested.

His eyebrow arched. "Think she can find two friends?"

Stephanie dug her cheap pre-paid cell phone out of her purse dialing her Grandma Mazur. "Hi, Grandma. Would you and two of your friends be up for a date? Carlos Manoso has three friends who are looking to go out. Really?" Stephanie turned to her male companion. "It's Polka night at the Falcons and the girls are in the mood for a little 'Chicken' dance."

"Perfect." he directed to Stephanie. "Cal," Ranger was now speaking into his cell phone, "have Ram take the Rangeman limousine and pick up three old ladies at the Morten's Funeral Parlor. Ask for Edna Mazur, then have Ram come to the train station to pick up their dates. Oh, make sure he takes pictures. Tell your Grandmother a black limo will be there for them in ten minutes." Ranger flashed a hand with five fingers twice.

Her blue eyes widened. "Grandma, a black limousine will pick you up in ten minutes and then your dates." She was laughing at the idea of her crazy Edna Mazur and friends having dates for the Polkafest arriving in a limousine. She was hoping the three unbalanced men with fake black mustaches would survive and lead productive lives again after an evening with her grandmother's dancing feet.

"Ain't that a pip!" Grandma said in her granddaughter's ear rounding up friends when she disconnected. "Is it OK if I bring a few extras? This weather has some of them going stir crazy."

Stephanie mouthed 'extras' to Ranger and he eagerly agreed. "Sure, Grandma."

"Hot damn! It a Polka Night in the 'Burg'! Bye, Baby Granddaughter."

"Bye, Grandma."

They leisurely strolled around until they were back near the entry and within seconds her Grandma Mazur and five other older ladies were walking into the train station liked they owned it having just ridden in the Rangeman limousine.

"That was classy," she said.

Stephanie turned to her Christmas guest but he wasn't beside her. She didn't even notice him moving, but caught sight of his three friends standing up straight in their hiding spot.

"Tank, you were right. Stephanie is a beauty," Groucho Lester whispered under his fake mustache.

"Yeah," he said low, "but it doesn't explain the short hair and all the mystery."

Groucho Bobby observed, "He's actually jolly and that's scary. Hey, where's Ranger?"

"Enjoying yourselves?" a voice growled behind the three large ex-Army bodies moving branches in a Christmas tree to have a better view.

The branches returned back into position with snaps and the three Groucho's stood up straight as a board.

"Ranger," all three spoke at the same instant.

Tank elbowed Lester moaning, "You swore no one would spot us in disguises."

"They worked on Halloween."

Ranger laughed, "It's Christmas. Move."

The three men still wearing their fake faces walked over to where Stephanie, her little boy, and a group of old women were leering at them like they were hungry.

"This is Stephanie, Reilley, her son, Edna, her Grandmother, and friends. This is Tank," Ranger said swatting his bald head. "This is Lester and Bobby." He smacked them, too.

"Hi," they said with nasally voices sounding like Rudolph with his false nose in the TV show.

"Close your eyes, you three idiots, and imagine your worst nightmare," Ranger hissed. "Multiply it by three! That's what I will do to you!"

All three large men shuddered.

"Edna and her lovely lady friends are in the mood to Polka and, Grouchos, you will be their dance partners unless you want to experience that worst nightmare in triplicate!"

Tank, Lester, and Bobby looked at each other through their fake round glasses.

"I'm in the mood to Polka," they said in unison.

"Good. Edna, they are all yours," Ranger waved at Stephanie's grandmother and handed her a couple of twenties. "Buy a few brewskies on me and your dates."

"Hot damn!" Grandma Mazur shoved the money in her handbag. "At the Lodge, we can get sloshed a few times over with that."

"Great-Grandma, you're lucky! You're going to play with Power Rangers!" the naive little boy cheered.

"Don't I know it," she clicked her false teeth together smiling.

"Have fun," Ranger told them holding open the door. Ram, a Rangeman employee, was holding open the door of the long black car at the end of the sidewalk. "Edna, please return them unharmed. They have work tomorrow."

Grandma Mazur giggled like a lecherous school girl, "They'll be fine!"

Tank, Lester, and Bobby whimpered behind their disguises trudging after the six women like they were making those final steps to stand in front of the firing squad. Stephanie thought they looked about to bawl.

"I thought these disguises would work," Lester said in total disbelief passing his boss.

Ranger glared after him then caught Stephanie's blue sparkling eyes full of amusement. "On who, Santos? Groucho Marx maybe! Ram, remember I want pictures!" Ranger yelled out the door as the employee closed the limousine door waving at his boss.

Going out first, he warmed up the Baha. Stephanie and Reilley ran to her SUV when the car pulled up to the same place where the Rangeman limousine was moments ago. She buckled her son in and jumped into the warm car. Both passengers in the front burst out laughing when they looked at each other.

"Wow, there was more Power Rangers," Reilley was happy and amazed at seeing more of those special Black Army Power Rangers.

"Where to now?" Ranger asked. He was hoping the evening wasn't ending just yet.

"I promised Reilley ice cream, but since it's cold how about a fondue pot? Mary Lou told me about a little coffee shop that opened. Kenny's school class sang their one night before Christmas. They ordered a fondue pot to share between them."

"What's a fun-do, Mommy," Reilley questioned never hearing the word.

"I guess it can be fun, too, Rye," Stephanie giggled at how he pronounced the word. "It's fon-do. Its usually either melted cheese or chocolate sauce that you dip fruit, bread, vegetables, or cake into to eat."

"That's neat, Mommy."

She looked over to their handsome companion. Ranger gave a hands up signal.

"Tell me how to get there."

They found it which wasn't too far from the train station heading towards the 'Burg'. 'Give Me A Stir' wasn't overly crowded, but the Wi-Fi section was full with college students. A waitress just finished wiping off a booth near the electric fireplace which they claimed. It was a nice touch on a cold evening. The three of them ordered a chocolate fondue pot with fruit and pound cake squares for dipping. Ranger had coffee, Stephanie opted for a caramel latte with whipped cream, and Reilley a hot chocolate.

The little boy with Stephanie's permission went over to the bookshelves to look at the books and the table of after-Christmas items on sale. Stephanie could watch her son sitting there with the man warming her hands.

"Your poor friends," Stephanie couldn't hold the giggle of those three big men doing the 'Chicken' dance towering over practically all the Polka-goers.

"That was better than them waking up in a box somewhere in the middle of a jungle and having to get here without any money and my help," he growled. Ranger tried to sound mean but his brown eyes didn't have it in them. There was humor in them.

Reilly came running over with a box in his child's hands. "Mommy, look what we could do?"

She took the box reading "pre-cut paper crafts for your own paper sculptures."

Excited by his discovery, Reilley pointed to pictures on the box. "It got a hooty owl and a squirrel."

Ranger knew what Stephanie was doing, she looked at the price on the box then over at the sale sign reading the items with the green dots were 60% off. The box had a green circle sticker on it.

"I think you and your Mommy need to make these," Ranger told them and before Stephanie could utter a syllable of protest, he was halfway to cashier with long strides and Reilley running after him saying. "Power Ranger, you can help, too."

In between dipping fruit into the fondue, the local Bad Ass was folding the brown designed paper and connecting the pieces to make a three dimensional pine cone while Stephanie and her son were building the owl.

An asleep Reilley was carried up into the Plum house by strong arms and he followed Stephanie straight up the steps to put her son and Woody to bed. He barely woke up when his mother was removing his jacket, but enough to walk to the bathroom with her.

The blue Power Ranger pajamas replaced his jeans and 'Toy Story' sweatshirt his mother bought shopping with Mary Lou earlier in the day. Slipper socks with his friend 'Woody' on them would keep his feet warm on the cold night. Ranger watched the little boy drifting back into sleep murmuring "Night, Mommy. Night Power Ranger."

Pudding came out of the tree curling up at the top of his pillow.

"Sweet dreams, Reilley," Stephanie kissed him tucking the blankets around him.

When she turned out the lamp beside the bed, Ranger saw a cat shaped nightlight glowing softly low on the wall.

"My grandson asleep?" Frank Plum questioned when his daughter and their frequent guest came into the living room.

"Yes. He's sound asleep, Daddy. Grandma's not home yet is she?"

Ellen Plum looked up from a cookbook, "No. Mother called saying she and her date were in the Polka dance-off at the Falcon's Lodge. She had a ride, but didn't know when she would be home."

"I wonder if she's with that short guy missing his knee caps. How can anyone dance without kneecaps?" Mr. Plum wondered out loud.

Stephanie and Ranger looked at each other laughing. Stephanie would let her Grandmother tell her parents about her date.

"Good Night," Ranger told the Plums.

Ellen Plum reminded him, "Dinner is at 6."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Ranger stood in the entry fixed on the blue eyes twinkling up at him. Both their bodies were shaking with quiet humor.

"I hope your men can function tomorrow," she giggled.

"They're trained Rangers so they should be able to handle just about anything," Ranger clarified. "Well maybe."

"This is my Grandma. The same woman who has been tossed out of funeral homes for trying to peek in closed caskets and usually the police bring her home regularly for one thing or another."

'They've been trained, but not in Polka commando. I may need to sign them up for that one. Thank you for another every enjoyable." His deep voice was soft and he was brushing knuckles along her cheek.

"Thank you for the fondue, coffee, paper folding, and providing dates. I know Grandma is dancing her toes off."

Very gentle lips touched her. "You're welcome to all the above, Babe."

"Don't forget this," Stephanie said holding up the paper pinecone he put together. "Reilley told you this was yours."

"That's mine."

_**XXXXXXXXX**_

Walking into his quiet apartment, Ranger went straight to his small Christmas lit with the tiny white lights. The Power Ranger was looking at him from his branch. He picked another branch adding the brown paper sculpture. Each ornament had it's own special association and each added to this Christmas memory.

He left the small tree twinkling on the hearth having turned off the light in the kitchen. It was just right decorated with the handmade tree and the Power Ranger. With the addition of his acorn, a symbol of patience, a meaning of great things coming from small beginnings, it was truly perfect. His friends might not understand his changes, both inside and out, but he did. The handmade tree was the simple, the Power Ranger, the goodness he was shown, and the acorn. It took him coming though a blinding blizzard with almost baby steps in deepening snow, cold, miserable, and alone to understand all that he was Ranger made himself and with nurturing just like the oak seed, he would continue to grow. Ranger was established, now it was Carlos Manoso's turn.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_**Chapter 11**_

Tank, Bobby, and Lester all came limping into the morning meeting wearing slippers. Ranger knew the condition his best friend was in because he was hobbling around the gym at 5 AM for their workout. Ranger laughed his head off when he sort of bragged that he and Stephanie's grandmother took second place in 'The Chicken Dance-Off'. He knew Edna had to be on top of the world because Ranger was.

"My bunions have bunions," Lester moaned.

Tank smacked his arm, "You don't have bunions."

"It feels like it!"

"Only old ladies get those," Bobby the Medic assessed.

"None of those old ladies had any because they were dancing fools," Ranger's best friend said as he sat there rubbing his feet.

"I put Epsom Salt on your desk," Bobby gritted rubbing his sore toes. "Ella has extra buckets so we can soak our feet in warm salt water while we're sitting. That will help."

Ranger walked out before the meeting began so he could laugh himself silly then walked back in calmer.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Here he is," Tank's voice in the hallway made Ranger look up from a contract he was reviewing only to see his small Cuban mother standing in the door watching him with teary eyes and his best friend was carrying two extra large fruit baskets. He was still walking gingerly because of his sore feet.

"Ricardo," she said.

He couldn't get up from his chair because she pounced in a flash hugging her absent son. His T-shirt was sopping up her waterfall of tears. Tank was smiling like a girl. "What are you doing here, Momma?"

Placed on the leather sofa along the wall were the fruit baskets and the big man exited quickly before Ranger could question why no one notified him Lucia Manoso was at Rangeman.

"You called me. I had to see for myself you were back safely."

"It was a snowstorm, Momma, not a nuclear explosion."

She ignored him kissing his cheek. Moving away from Ranger but holding on to his forearm, her teary eyes studied his features. "Your hair is shorter, but you look like my Ricardo."

He arched an eyebrow at the remark. "My hair needed at good trim after I got back from my assignment. Stephanie gave me a Christmas haircut."

"I like it! One of those fruit baskets is for her and her son," she explained with some of her make-up smeared, "and the other for your employees. They all take care of you. I've missed you, Son. How did you get back to Trenton?"

Ranger smelled something in the works with his mother. "I've missed you, Momma. I don't like to worry you. Stephanie's parents live here so I drove back with her and her son. You didn't drive here all the way from Newark to deliver fruit baskets, did you?"

"Pooh," she told Ranger swatting his bicep, "that is what children do, worry us. Do you think it's possible you take your Mother to lunch and that's perfect? We'll deliver the fruit basket to Stephanie. I should give her a proper Cuban 'Thank You' for getting you out of the snow."

There was her ultimate plan. If possible to meet Stephanie Plum.

"What happened to your friends' feet? They seem to be in pain," Lucia Manoso observed seeing the three men sitting in Tank's office with their feet soaking in warm water when Ranger said he was taking his mother out. He placed the large fruit basket in the break room and he was carrying the one with fruit, chocolates, bubble bath, and a train to be delivered in person by his mother to a certain house in the 'Burg'. Ranger knew no matter what he said to his mother he couldn't get out of it, so he didn't try. He just carried it on the elevator and to his Porsche.

"They discovered Polkas, Momma."

Ranger didn't know to be glad or concerned seeing Stephanie's Subaru at her parent's house. It was a little early for lunch, but Ranger figured after they delivered the fruit basket and his mother thanked Stephanie at least 100 times for her hospitality, Lucia Manoso would be on her way back to Newark.

"I'll get it," Stephanie called coming through her parent's dining room with a basket of laundry she folded. The kitchen was quite full and busy.

Opening the door her Christmas guest and a woman who had to be his Cuban mother were standing there on her parent's front porch. The resemblance was unmistakable, but her expression was happy and his was if someone was sticking something in his eye.

"Hello," Stephanie greeted.

"I'm sorry about this," Ranger stammered, "but my mother."

"Oh, thank you," Lucia Manoso cried hugging Stephanie in a tight hug, "for saving my son!"

"I didn't save him. The police found him along the road," Stephanie truthfully blurted out.

"You saved him, My Precious Dear, you brought my Ricardo back to me!" His mother was sobbing against the surprised woman.

Ranger didn't know what to do; he said still holding the over-sized fruit basket in the entry.

"Come in, please," Stephanie ushered Ranger and his mother still hugging her into the living room.

Mrs. Manoso didn't quite make it to her son's shoulders, but she was strong. Stephanie felt it. Her skin was flawless and smooth, the same dark golden latte tone of Ranger's.

There was the sound of running feet coming towards them. "Mommy, who's here?" He stopped at the living room doorway seeing the company. "Power Ranger!"

"What are you doing, Blue Power Ranger?" Ranger asked. The small boy had on an apron with flowers over his clothes; it was a small bib type one and his hands were covered in crumbs.

Holding up his small coated fingers with a few of them touching, he shook them. "We makin' a meat-a-balls," he spoke with an improvised Italian accent. "Did I say that right, Grandpa?"

"Perfect Italian, Reilley. Meat-a-balls," Frank Plum mimicked his joy of a grandson with his accent and hand movement. "Hi, Frank Plum," he introduced himself without shaking hands. He was wearing a white apron and his hands were greasy with crumbs. "We're helping to make meatballs for wedding soup."

"I hope we aren't disturbing you," Lucia said. "I'm Lucia Manoso. I wanted to thank your daughter and grandson for taking in my son. He's my youngest," she added smiling up at her stern son. "This is for you," she tapped the fruit basket in Ranger's arm. "I think that is so sweet and you're adorable," telling Reilley touching his nose.

Ellen Plum came in with a tray of coffee and coffee cake. "Hello, Happy Holidays," she greeted.

"This is my mother, Ellen," Stephanie introduced. "Mom, this is Lucia Manoso."

"Hello," Ranger's mother gracefully shook Mrs. Plum's hand. "You have a wonderful daughter and grandson to give my son a Christmas he so enjoyed. I don't want to take you away from your kitchen."

"No," Ellen Plum, perfect 'Burg' hostess told her offering her a seat on the sofa. "I have helpers with the wedding soup that my grandson requested."

"Is it difficult to make? I've never attempted it, but I always order it when my husband and I go out for Italian."

"No, not at all. The kitchen is a little messy, but I'll show you."

Lucia Manoso was eagerly nodding ignoring the look her son was giving her saying silently "We should be leaving". "I know Cuban cooking, a little Italian can't hurt."

Reilley went running for the kitchen yelling, "Let's go make-a meat-a-balls."

"I could swear your Christmas tree said 'Meow'," Mrs. Manoso told Frank.

"It's the cat. You get used to it."

Ranger hung his head figuring he wasn't going anywhere soon, took a seat on the sofa next Stephanie, and accepted a cup of coffee to go with his coffee cake as his mother disappeared towards the Plum kitchen.

Stephanie nudged him. "So, what's new with you?"

"Babe," he chuckled.

"What about this weather?" she teased pretending to make small talk with the Plum kitchen being so full.

His eyebrow arched and his lips curled. "The weather is just perfect for this," he said tipping her chin to meet his lips. "Take your time Momma," he sent a mental message to her.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Oh, Ricardo, I've had such a nice visit with you," Mrs. Manoso told him as he helped on with her coat ready to leave the Plum's.

His dark eyes widened slightly, his mother has been cooking in the Plum's kitchen, but he wasn't going to contradict her.

"Oh, Lucia, too bad you need to get back to Newark," Stephanie's mother said coming out of the kitchen with a container of wedding soup, "you could join us for dinner and see the lights with us and your son. It's been nice visiting because our children met." It sounded like the mothers had known each other for years.

"Oh, that sounds like fun. I'll call my husband saying I'll be home tomorrow. He'll be so pleased that Ricardo missed me so much he asked me to stay overnight so we can spend time together."

"I did?" Ranger questioned. When did he say that because surely didn't remember saying the words.

"My husband is busy with end-of-the-year stuff at the CPA Company, so he wouldn't miss me. And, my Ricardo wouldn't want me to drive back in the dark. I can stay with him. I'll call Maximo and we'll just stop at a store so I can purchase a few things. That sounds so much fun. We can catch up some more," mother told her son linking her arm through his. It was like they would go skipping down the 'Yellow Brick Road' to Rangeman.

Ranger's head snapped up so suddenly, he gave himself a headache. "Momma?" When did he invite her?

"Don't worry, Ricardo. Your father is a big boy and I'm enjoying my visit. I'm so glad I drove down from Newark."

He closed his eyes thinking "Does this happen to Power Rangers?" "Me, too, Momma," Ranger grumbled with a tense smile.

"This has been the best afternoon! I made-a meat-a-balls," Lucia Manoso repeated like Reilley but it was Italian with a Cuban accent. "Ricardo, I'll need to go pick up a few things so I can stay with you."

"Anything you need, Momma," Ranger told his mother. He hadn't seen her in over two years, now she was spending the night in his apartment. He missed something from Rangeman to the 'Burg'.

"Thank you, Ellen. Ricardo and I will be back for dinner if you're sure you will have enough?"

"We got plenty," Frank Plum said coming from the kitchen after stirring one of the pots with his grandson. "We have two pots of wedding soup going."

"Stephanie, you do have to come back sooner. I can't remember the last time your father helped in the kitchen. He only does it if Reilley is here," Ellen happily explained to her daughter.

She giggled watching her son dancing singing 'Meat-a-balls!"

_**XXXXXXXXXXX**_

"What?" Lester quizzed Tank who was laughing as he poured more warm water in the buckets for their sore feet. It was his turn to get the warm water.

"It just gets better all the time. Ranger drove his mother to Stephanie's parent's house to give her the other fruit basket. I have to mark Roosevelt on my map."

Lester's mouth gaped. "She got the good one with chocolates and bubble bath. Not fair!"

"Lester, shut up! Tank's getting to the good point," Bobby told his partner flicking warm water at him.

"Before I was interrupted," he said giving Lester eyes. "She learned how to make Italian Wedding Soup there. That's why Ranger was gone so long. I wondered why Ranger was having the Expedition cleaned, but Mr. "I Got New Hair' wouldn't tell me why. He's driving her family probably with the 'Polka Party' Grandma going too through the light display. AND!" Tank held up a hand before his friends said a word. "Lucia is going with them. She told me her son with the 'new do'," as he spoke he fluffed imaginary hair, "invited his Momma to go along and stay the night!"

"Was she sure it was Ranger and not the new guy Phil Maweeney?" Lester questioned.

"There is no new employee Phil! Get over it!" Bobby yelled punching his arm.

Tank sat down dipping his feet in his warm bucket. "I'd love to be there, but I'd be happy to see Ranger in a vehicle with his mother and her family driving through the twinkle lights." He was speaking in a girly voice.

"Too bad he didn't invite us," Bobby remarked.

"That's not nice! We were his friends first!" Lester muttered with his chin indignantly in the air.

"We're not his type," Bobby reminded his partner.

"Men! They're just interested in one thing, boobs!"

Tank and Bobby glared at the all-time playboy.

Lester announced smartly, "So what! I got another plan with more holiday appropriate disguises."

Ranger stood outside his best friend's office door listening to their plans, then we was going straight to his office to see if Edna Mazur had any other plans for tonight and needed dates.

_**XXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Edna, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Ranger asked at the Plum's dining room table.

"Oh, this is even better than 'Polka Fest'. My dates will really be looking forward tonight when they are picked-up."

"Are your stalkers at it again?" Stephanie asked. "I thought they learned their lesson last night."

"No," Ranger chuckled shaking his head. "I heard them talking. They have new Holiday appropriate costumes. They're planning on being along the light trail."

"What's up tonight, Grandma?" Stephanie wondered.

"Oh, tonight is the 'After-Christmas No Candy or Gum Drops Gingerbread House Contest'. This year we picked some really good things to decorate the houses. It's not like the lame ones from last year, pepperoni, screws, and, washers. This year is three feet of Duct tape, pickles, and bottle caps. We had to drink lots of brewskis so everyone could have some. Once everyone is done, then we square dance around them like 'Hansel and Gretel'."

"Oh my, you live it up down here!" Lucia Manoso seemed impressed with Grandma Mazur's evening.

"Live with her. It's a bowl of prune pits," Frank griped.

Grandma stuck her finger up her nose, "Up yours!"

"Play nice!" Ellen warned. "We have company!"

Ranger was secretly hoping a fight didn't break-out in his Rangeman SUV; he wanted his friends to have an enjoyable 'date' night again.

"I'm sitting with my grandson," Frank Plum bellowed. "Stephanie, you can give the directions. He and Mrs. Plum climbed in the middle seats on each side of their much loved grandson. His mother secured his car seat from her car and he was buckled in with his best buddy Woody and his 'Snuggie'. Grandma and Lucia Manoso were in the third row, and Stephanie was up front with the Cuban driver.

Ellen and Lucia made thermoses of hot chocolate to go with the S'more bars she baked in her son's kitchen while he was working on 5. Actually, he was hiding out, but Ranger didn't tell his Momma.

"Ready?" Ranger questioned his co-pilot, but his answer came from the back seat. "Ready, Power Ranger!"

"OK!"

As they were in line to enter the park, Frank handed Ranger money.

'I got it, Frank." Ranger held up his wallet.

"Son, I'm a member. We get a discount!"

"Frank! You're a passenger! Happy Holidays!"

"Hi, Curtis," Frank greeted his fellow lodger collecting the money. "I'm letting someone else do the driving."

"You look the proud Grandpa," he said handing out the good cherry flavored candy canes. "New flavor. We're also handing out blue berry this year. Enjoy the lights! Oh, we got some last minute volunteers."

"I wonder who they could be?" Ranger laughed to Stephanie. "It wouldn't happen to be three big guys" he inquired of the guy with the candy canes.

"Yeah, they had some nice costumes."

Ranger muttered, "Holiday appropriate."

At the big sign with big letters it told the visitors 'PARKING LIGHTS ONLY! DON"T MAKE US TELL YOU AGAIN! ENJOY!'

"I guess I'm supposed to turn off the lights, " Ranger chuckled. He turned up the heat and had the window down some so they could hear the Christmas music as they drove through the displays.

There were 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' driving through white light arches with dangling snowflakes. Slowing driving past 'Nutcracker' bears, snowflakes, big presents, stars, poinsettias, old cars, boy and girls sledding, carolers, they came to a another sign. "ENTERING THE NORTH POLE'.

'I haven't seen my dates!" Grandma called from the back. The hot chocolate and S'mores were being passed around.

"SANTA'S WORKSHOP AHEAD'.

"I bet they are coming up," Ranger yelled back.

The lit-up reindeer and one with a red nose were animated moving their heads at the passer-bys. "Here Comes Santa Claus' was filling the air. Ranger almost drove off the road approaching a decorated house. Standing there waving at people were Tank as Santa, Lester in a dress being Mrs. Claus, and Bobby was an elf with pointy ears and pointy shoes. With still sore feet, they kept shifting their weights so it appeared they were doing a slow jig. They attempted to hide their faces so the Boss wouldn't recognize them.

'Those look like your Power Rangers," Reilley stated waving at the three characters.

Grandma hooted out the window. "Woo, Woo! It's my dates!"

"They work for you?" Frank pointed to Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the Elf. "You, Poor Man."

"Just wait, You Three!" Ranger growled loudly out the window as the SUV was about to pass.

Lucia Manoso waved a cup out the window, "We got hot chocolate, Boys!"

Those must have been the magic words because Tank, Lester, and Bobby all gave each other a quick glances, then took off hobbling after the SUV. It made Ranger bang his forehead on the steering wheel seeing Mrs. Claus with white wig and little red frilly cap running in black work boots with his dress hiked up and Bobby trying to keep up shuffling behind in curly elf shoes. The tailgate went up and the SUV shook when all three jumped in. Afraid of Edna Mazur, there were squished together in the cargo area when the tailgate closed.

"That heat feels good," Tank said rubbing his face with white beard.

Lester agreed, "I was getting a draft up my dress."

"We didn't need to know that, Cousin!"

"Ranger, I was."

They heard that Bad Ass Cuban laugh, Bobby, Tank, and Lester knew they were in trouble again. "Edna, tell the three date contestants what is on the schedule for tonight!"

"They picked a good night for second dates. Date protocol states if we make it to the third one, then they're putting out!" Edna Mazur cackled just as evil as Ranger.

The three Rangemen whimpered.

"Mother, behave!"

"I want some good fun, Ellen! Tonight, Boys, is the 'After-Christmas No Candy or Gum Drops Gingerbread House Contest' and the secret ingredients just like on that 'Iron Chef' are," she paused tapping the seat in front of her as a drum roll, "three feet of duct tape, pickles of all sizes and varieties to add imagination, and bottle caps. While the judges are making their decisions of the top three houses, we'll square dance around them pretending to be 'Hansel' and "Gretel'. If I make the top three, I'll share my 'Pleasure Treasures gift certificate with you. I'll pick something for all of us!"

Tank, Bobby, and Lester were gagging. The triple nightmare was looking real good at the moment.

"That would choke me up, too!"

Grandma Mazur and 'the dates' got out at the lit up senior center. It was hilarious watching Lester smooth his dress into place as he sort of tip toed.

"I'll send a car later," Ranger called after them. A group of old ladies were pushing each other to claim Lester and Bobby. Grandma was sticking with Tank since they won in the dance-off.

His mother invading his space like she did today would have sent Ranger to the nearest airport or to his Porsche heading to another office for a 'problem' that came up, but she brought him up-to-date on his family member or that one. Carlos Manoso might not be ready to jump back into the family fold, but he took the time and listened. That satisfied his mother. She questioned about the three ornaments on his tree and the response that they were his ornaments from his Christmas satisfied her. He laid there on his leather sofa while his mother slept in his bedroom watching his tree, he chuckled at the antics of his three friends spying on Ranger, that turned to visions of his 'date' with Stephanie. Her parents were taking their grandson to see 'Yogi Bear' and he discovered Rossini's was one of her favorite places, especially the tiramisu.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_**Chapter 12**_

Her small blue half-car half-truck was in a sea of black when she exited her SUV.

"Wow! Look at all the Power Ranger Cars," Reilley told his mother with wide dazzled eyes.

Leaning against the wall like he did it all day was their tour guide. "Power Ranger, you got lots of cars!" The little boy ran over to meet Ranger, who with his long strides was closer to them than the wall in a blink. Stephanie glanced at her used vehicle surrounded by ones which appeared new or newer than hers. The Baha wasn't dented or rusted, but was over five years old. She owned it three and the woman she purchased it from almost two if she remembered correctly. "Are these all yours?"

"These are my personal ones," Ranger indicated the four automobiles closest to the elevator. The Turbo, Cayenne, Mercedes, and Big Black Truck. "The others are company ones." Her blue eyes shifted to her blue one, then tried to look again at the four in their own spots. "They're mine, but hopefully I'm more than that. Between you and me, you are the happier one, Babe."

The blue pearls studied his handsome face, he was sincere she could see it, but also there was something else. It wasn't contentment or discontentment there in his features, maybe a combo of the two. Unfulfilled was a better word. Stephanie didn't think he was referring to the man who stood before her all in black with more weapons around his hips than both Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid together, but the man who remained when all that went away. The glimpses that broke through at Christmas were the man who had been forgotten, the tough guy wouldn't work stranded in the snow. It would only increase the alienation more than he already had made himself. "OK," she said simply accepting his self-assessment.

"Come on," Ranger told the mother and son walking over to a door in a garage wall he beeped open twice. "This area is our practice range and storage for our more powerful weapons."

All the rifles and a few she didn't recognize were locked behind glass neatly lined up with perfect spacing between each and ammunition was stacked the same way on shelves behind glass. There were also bullet-proof vests stacked on a table. Leaving that room, they walked to a thick glass wall.

"This is our practice range. Every Rangeman has to practice."

A man dressed like the Boss was firing at a target in one of ranges. The sound was very muffled. "Sound proof glass," he said rapping a knuckle on it. "To handle a weapon of any kind, you must be careful and be aware of your surroundings always." As he spoke it was at Reilley's level, not down to him. "Never point a gun at someone unless you are using it on the bad guys. You might not think it is loaded and it could accidentally go off."

Her son listened to every word. "I bet you're the best Black Army Power Ranger."

Blowing on his knuckles and rubbing them on his muscled check. "I am one of the best," Ranger the Bad Ass grinned. "Want me to show you?"

Reilley was nodding so fast he was going to loosen something.

"When you practice, you always wear head phones and protective glasses," Ranger told him getting his equipment off a shelf. Stephanie noticed smaller headphones and goggles there with them, so he prepared earlier for their tour. "How about you go outside so the noise doesn't scare you?" Ranger moved a chair for him to stand on and he went back into the firing range. The protective gear went on and he touched a button after a paper target was attached to an arm and it went gliding down to the end. Using the pistol on his hip, Ranger aimed and fired, the target was stuck about a dozen times rapidly in the center of the bulls-eye. The button was pushed and the target came back. He nodded taking off his equipment as Stephanie and Riley came back in.

"Wow, that's good," the little boy said in awe. He stuck his small fingers in the hole the bullets made in the target. "You are the best Power Ranger."

"Would you like to try if your mother let's you? I have a pellet gun," he pointed to the shelf. He really was prepared.

Blue eyes were questioning his mother. "Mommy, can I try?"

"OK. Just a couple times, Reilley," Stephanie gave her approval.

Ranger brought the chair in the room. "A real gun is not a toy."

Reilley nodded climbing up on the chair. He hung on every word.

"When I put the earphones on you, you won't be able to hear, Reilley," the Cuban man explained slipping goggles over his eyes and the little boy's.

"I'll watch from out here," Stephanie told the two males focused on the moving target.

Ranger stood behind Reilley showing him how to hold the small pistol correctly. Stephanie saw her son nod and his headphones were put into place carefully by large hands and Ranger quickly covered his ears with his. His hands guided Reilley's into position again to line up with the target. Stephanie watched seeing it pucker three times near the bottom. The pellet gun went to the shelf and Reilley was hopping on the chair taking off his headset.

"Mommy, I hit it!"

Ranger removed Reilley's target. There were three tiny holes on the lower right side when he held it to the light.

"Yes, you did, Sweetheart."

"Want to try, Babe?"

"Try it, Mommy! Try it!" Her little boy was jumping on his chair to cheer on his mother.

Stephanie poked his little boy belly. "How can I refuse with a cheering section like you?"

Ranger had her stand like he was to get comfortable and finding her center. He was nuzzling her neck standing behind her so he could show Stephanie how to position her arms and how to hold the pistol correctly. "Let's get these on," he told Reilley helping him to cover his ears. The little boy moved the chair back into the corner. Even though it was a pellet pistol and not loud, Ranger made sure all the safety procedures were followed by Reilley, Stephanie, and himself. He handed Stephanie her equipment to put on as he did. He felt her giggling when he melted his body to hers helping her stance.

When she felt comfortable, Stephanie fired. She was surprised seeing the target dimple in the low middle. Firing four more times, she hit the mark above her first shot.

"That was very good," Ranger said impressed. "When have you fired a weapon before?"

The mass of curls shook. "I never did."

He looked at her surprised, but realized Stephanie as a stylist was used to concentrating on cutting her client's hair, so she had that mode already. "You're used to concentrating."

"I guess," she shrugged not really being aware of it before.

"Mommy, you did good!"

Stephanie picked up her bouncing son kissing him. "Thank you."

"Wow, Power Ranger, you teach good!"

"Thanks," Ranger told him ruffling his hair.

After putting away the equipment, the tour continued back out in the garage and going up to the third floor. "Two has a few one bedroom apartments. Three is the gym, medical room, and employee lounge," he told them about the floor walking into the gym where two Rangemen were in the middle of a karate work-out.

Why he was doing all this, Ranger wasn't quite sure. He liked the notion of being the little boy's black Army Power Ranger hero. Maybe he remembered as a boy the awe he had watching the now very campy 'Batman', 'Tarzan', and 'Superman'. The 'Wow' was practically the only word the little boy spoke and it made Ranger chuckle every time.

Next was 5. All the men in black stood when Ranger ushered his guests into the control room with walls of monitors and security equipment. Tank, Bobby, and Lester came limping in too. They were in their work boots not their slippers.

"This is where we watch for any bad guys," the boss said in simplistic terms of exactly the security monitoring his company provided. He ignored the smirks on the faces of his employees. He introduced each man and each shook the small boy's hand. Each got a 'Wow' in response and each chest seemed to puff out.

"Wow, you really do have a bunch of black Army Power Rangers," Reilley observed.

Ranger concurred, "There's a few."

"Well, Hello," a thin woman walked into the control room with a tray of brownies, "you must be Reilley that I've been hearing about. I'm Ella."

His blue eyes got large. "You take care of the Army Power Rangers!"

"Yes, I do." She nodded laughing at all the eyes devouring the treats she had baked. "Hello, Stephanie. Can I offer one to your son?"

Stephanie gave her approval. He was drooling as much as the men. "Yes. Thank you, Ella."

The housekeeper handed something to her boss and she went about passing out her baked good. Each man except Ranger accepted one. Stephanie moaned taking a bite of the chocolaty brownie.

His small heart shaped face was a gooey smile when Ranger produced a small black baseball cap with Rangeman embroidered across the front. Above the company name she had sewn a blue Power Ranger figure.

"How's this? You're now an official black Army Power Ranger," Ranger was smiling ear to ear from producing the hat from behind his back.

"WOW! Mommy, I'm a black Army Power Ranger!" An excited Reilley let his favorite Power Ranger put it on his head. He didn't want to touch is ball cap with his gooey fingers.

She had a napkin wiping off his small fingers. "You look just like them!"

"Wow! It's the best, Power Ranger. Thanks!"

Ranger gave him a "You're welcome."

Tank left the control room and came back. "You need these," he said holding up a pair of handcuffs.

"Wow!"

"And a spy pen," Lester handed Reilley a pen. He clicked the top and it repeated, "And a spy pen."

"Wow!"

Bobby held up a magnifying glass to his eye. "You can track the bad guys with this."

"Wow! Thanks, Power Rangers." The little boy was admiring the items in his hands from the three Rangemen. Ranger was glaring at them for trying to upstage him. "Mommy, look at this!"

"I see, Rye. I think it's time for us to go so they can do their work and Mommy wants to get you new sneakers."

He never disagreed with his mother. His blue eyes looked at each man in the room. "Thanks, Black Army Power Rangers. This was great!"

Taking his new gifts, Stephanie traded her son for his coat. "Thank you, you made my son's day," she told the room before she and her son left the control room followed by a steaming Ranger.

"You like those?" he asked stepping on the elevator to return to the garage. He didn't want his guests to go, but he had a pre-scheduled meeting with a client later in the morning.

"These are great. I like my hat best," Reilley told the tall man. His blue eyes went up towards the brim of his black baseball cap.

"I'm glad you like that." He was smiling broadly and in his mind shook a fist in the air. "Take that, You Three!" "I'll see you at 6, Babe?"

Reilley was in his car seat buckled in by his mother and Ranger had the driver's door open. "I'll be ready. I love Rossini's fettuccini."

"Order anything you want," he said kissing her lips.

"I hope you have a good meeting and thank you. Reilley loved every minute."

Nodding, he agreed. "Me, too. Bye, Blue Power Ranger."

"Bye, Power Ranger."

He watched Stephanie's blue SUV drive out of the garage. His heart was doing flip flops and he made his brain overlook that tomorrow night was New Year's Eve. They would be returning to Wilmington on New Year's Day. That was next year Ranger rationalized pressing the elevator to go up.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Why are we doing this?" Lester asked lowering his high powered binoculars. "Are we that afraid of Ranger? There are three of us."

"Yes!" Bobby and Tank yelled.

"And," the second-in-command reminded the other two, "we tried to show-up Ranger. He has even more connections now with that crazy Grandmother. There's that old lady over there with a shot gun, too. I'm not putting out for a horde of crazy old ladies! Lula would have my dick!"

"You heard Ranger, if he so much as smells us within blocks of his date tonight, he's chaining us down on beds for three days so those old lady vultures can pick our dicks any way they like! That's a 72 hour nightmare we won't ever recover from!"

"Oh yeah!" Lester picked up the binoculars again. "I'll sit here watching for aliens. I don't want any old lady kootchie on me taking away my God-given mojo! I can't deprive my attractive female public of all my male goodness. I don't want any old ladies touching this prize!" He patted his cargos for emphasis.

"Oh, brother," his friends groaned.

Tank, Bobby, and Lester were in Tank's Hummer that had a 'boot' on it. An old lady in the house across from the small park was watching them with a shot gun. If they attempted to get back to Trenton before anyone came for them, Ranger gave her permission to shoot. They were shackled together at the ankles. If they wanted to use the 'Port-A-John' in the parking lot, they all had to go together. Their assignment or punishment was spending the evening at the '1938 Martian Landing Monument' in Princeton Junction watching for aliens and filing a detailed report with the boss the next day. Someone from Rangeman would unlock them when Ranger returned from his date with Stephanie.

"I think I see something!" Lester yelled.

Tank tipped his ball cap up. "Santos, it's an airplane. Go to sleep."

_**XXXXXXXXXX**_

Parking his Porsche in front of Stephanie's parents, he checked his reflection in the mirror. His shorter hair went into place brushing his fingers through it. Chuckling, Ranger thought he could save himself money never needing a comb again. Picking up the flowers on the passenger seat, he got out. He was wearing black pants, black shoes, and a white shirt. No tie or suit jacket, he knew Stephanie didn't have too many things here in Trenton, so he stayed on the more casual side for Rossini's.

The porch light was on when he rang the doorbell.

"Coming," Stephanie called out.

Opening the door, Ranger's breath caught. He choked on "Hi".

Stephanie had on black shiny leggings with high-heels. A dark blue shirt skimmed the top of her hips; its neck draped and had metallic swirls in the fabric. Her hear was up reveling her long slim neck and black hoops in her lobes.

"You're so beautiful." He was awe struck. Stephanie was beautiful and it came out in her kindness and in her gorgeous blue eyes.

"You look pretty good yourself and I like your hair," she teased as he stepped in her parent's entry. "My parents and Reilley left early for dinner at McDonald's before 'Yogi Bear'. I don't know if I'll be able to get his baseball cap off his head when he goes to bed."

Ranger chuckled and he couldn't help getting a 'big' head over her son's fascination with his hat. "These are for you," Ranger spoke softly handing Stephanie a bouquet of pink roses, variegated pink and green tulips, and baby's breath. He pointed to the two-tone tulips. "The flower shop said the variegated tulips mean 'beautiful eyes'."

All he saw was her blue eyes over the tops of the flowers. "They are so beautiful. Reilley always picks me flowers when we're in the park if he finds them. It has been a really long time since I had 'professional' ones. They smell like heaven. Hmmmm." As she spoke her eyes closed focusing on the scents. "I'll put these in water."

Ranger heard water running in the kitchen and she came back with a clear glass vase full of flowers Stephanie placed in the middle of the dining room table. There was a black faux jacket over a dining room chair that Stephanie borrowed from her mother's closet because she only brought her blue parka.

He held it up. "Ready?"

"You look very handsome, Power Ranger. My, what perfect hair you have!" Stephanie teased again.

He kissed her lips tenderly, but there was an up-turn to his lips. "I'll tell my stylist."

Waiting while she locked her parent's front door, Ranger took her hand in his warm one walking to his Turbo. She sunk down in the soft leather seat when she got in and turned to her date when he took his place. "You know how to make a girl's head spin."

"I want you to have a good time. Let me show you how much I appreciated you inviting me into your home and family. I have money, Stephanie. Tons of it, it's bought me the best tangible things money can buy," he explained tapping the steering wheel with his palm, "but I've put so much of myself into both the government and my company, I've walled myself in. I just want to enjoy myself and see what it is really like."

Stephanie nodded. She had realized how he shut himself off. "I'll never be in this league."

"Stop," he corrected. "Reilley has more than a lot of children. You. You love him to death. It doesn't matter your bank account doesn't have the zeroes mine does. I admire you for doing what is the best for both of you. What good would it be for both of you if you worked a bunch more hours to live in a penthouse? You wouldn't be together. That is what is important, you are." To lighten the mood in his Porsche he added. "Besides, the cat would only have the imaginary bird to spend time with."

"You think Pudding is crazy!"

"Yeah," Ranger laughed. "He fits in especially with your Grandma."

"I'm taking that as a compliment," she laughed with him.

Putting the Turbo in drive, he pulled out. "Good."

Walking through Rossini's to the corner table, Stephanie knew all eyes in the restaurant were on her and the very exquisite specimen of a man accompanying her. Her mother would have messages waiting when they returned from the movies.

A waiter was immediately at the table introducing himself before the menus were even open. "I'm Jack, your server tonight. Can I take a drink order while you look over the menu? The specials are listed inside."

"Wine?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not much of a drinker, but it would be nice."

He never looked at the wine list simply ordering, "Chardonnay."

"Yes, Mr. Manoso," Jack said heading straight for the kitchen.

"I bring a number of clients here," Ranger told her seeing the pursed lips across the table.

"I'm honored to be with a preferred customer," Stephanie giggled over her menu. "I love them! Seafood Alfredo is a special tonight!"

His eyebrow raised but didn't say a word. Ranger watched her entire face light up; her blue eyes were sparkling in the delight of the dinner specials. He had the mental image it was like opening a Christmas present.

She liked his choice of white wine.

They opted for no appetizer, Stephanie wanted to have room for the creamy seafood and noodles. Jack brought their salads, Stephanie chose a spinach one with Rossini's special bacon dressing, he chose garden with balsamic vinaigrette.

"Oh, I missed this," Stephanie moaned closing her eyes savoring her first bite of a mushroom with the sweet and tangy warm dressing. Without realizing it she licked her lips getting the last bit of taste.

He looked at his salad with the fresh lettuce and vegetables. It was good but not the pleasurable event his dinner companion was having.

She whispered covering her mouth embarrassed by her dining scene, "I'm sorry. I'm not a salad girl, but there is something about this."

Ranger stretched his form over the table scrutinizing the spinach, eggs, bacon bits, mushrooms, and onion circles.

"Taste this," Stephanie offered with a bit of spinach and mushroom on her fork to Ranger. "Close your eyes. In one bite it can be sweet and another zesty all in your mouth. It goes together."

The chocolate eyes slowly disappeared as Ranger chewed. It was as if one side of his mouth was sugary and the other half a tart balsamic. The distinct flavors did melt together. "That is good," he agreed. The garden salad was fresh and crunchy, it was like cardboard compared to Stephanie's savory spinach salad.

"I'll share," she giggled watching Ranger take a small fork of his salad. Using her fork and spoon as salad tongs, Stephanie filled a bread plate sliding it to Ranger.

They just finished 'her' salad by the time Jack brought their dinners on a tray he carried up in the air. Clearing the salad bowls before the waiter could question about the mostly uneaten garden salad, Stephanie spoke up, "Mine was tastier."

"It is a customer favorite," Jack told them.

It was comfortable, Stephanie fed Ranger one of her melt-in-your-mouth scallops and he shared his sole with bourbon glaze.

Tonight was a rare occasion for Carlos Manoso, he told his attentive companion about growing up in Newark. One of six Cuban children with him being the youngest. His father was an accountant and his mother stayed at home raising the children much like Stephanie's parents, her father worked in the Post Office and her mother was home with Stephanie and her sister, Valerie. He also explained more about the services Rangeman provided in each of his offices.

There was a singer who came in halfway through dinner. He began playing piano and singing Sinatra classics. There was some Dean Martin mixed in that Ranger recognized. A few couples out for the evening were dancing in front of the black piano.

"Want to dance?" Ranger asked. They were quietly enjoying her latte and his cup of coffee after the food was eaten and the plates were cleared away by Jack.

"OK. I'd like that."

It seemed as if their bodies molded together slow dancing and the only ones. Stephanie followed his lead and gasped when Ranger dipped her when he twirled them around. Stephanie and Ranger continued dancing until the singer took a break.

Watching the expression on Stephanie's face was priceless when a waiter pushed a dessert cart past their table. Her blue eyes got big and her lips twitched. "I'm still full!" she sobbed.

"Since you cleaned your plate, how about I get you dessert to go, Babe?" Ranger proposed. "Maybe tiramisu?" For emphasis he arched his eyebrow twice.

"You're the best dinner date!" Without thinking she kissed his cheek in the restaurant, and then clicked off in her high heels to the 'Ladies Room'.

Ranger was signing the credit card receipt, Jack was a very happy server with the handsome tip he received, and there was a white box at Stephanie's side of their table.

"What's this?" she asked coming back.

He laughed, "Dessert."

"You bought a whole tiramisu?" She was stunned. "I'm saving a bit and sleeping with it under my pillow like you do with wedding cake so I can dream of tiramisu all night."

She was giddy carrying the box like it was gold or the prized lottery ticket to the Porsche.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"What is this?" Stephanie asked peeking in her parent's living room.

From the sofa to the ottoman, there was Reilley's 'Snuggie' draped between the furniture. A blue throw blanket was over the top of her father's recliner with his body and legs sticking out. On the carpet in front of Woody sitting there were straws and bamboo skewers forming a triangle with cookies on a plate. A small wicker basket was placed on the coffee table near Stephanie's mother.

"Mommy!" Her son crawled out from under his blanket running into her arms.

"Me and Grandpa are camping like Yogi Bear!"

"Daddy, I like your tent."

A voice from under the blue blanket said, "Thanks. I'm waiting for my cookies to toast." His sock covered toes were wiggling.

Ranger was chuckling at the scene behind Stephanie.

"Mommy, Yogi Bear was stealing picnic baskets! Power Ranger is here so he can't steal ours."

Frank peeked out. "Good. I was worried about my cookies."

The Christmas tree was 'Meowing' in the campground. It was a crazy scene.

A small finger tapped the white box. "What's in there, Mommy?"

"Dessert. Power Ranger bought us tiramisu from Rossini's," Stephanie teased calling him Reilley's nickname.

"Cookies can wait, Frank," Ellen Plum hopped up from the sofa for plates and forks in the kitchen.

Coming out from under his canopy, Stephanie's father poked the toasting cookies with a skewer. "They need a little more."

Noticing the time was almost 9:30 finishing his tiramisu, Ranger opened his cell phone. "Ram, send someone up to Princeton Junction to unshackle Tank, Bobby, and Lester. The key is on my desk. Good Night to you." He closed his cell phone continuing to eat his last fork of dessert. He was aware all eyes were on him.

"What did you do now?" Stephanie questioned in mid-tiramisu-sigh.

"I wanted to have a quiet dinner without those three butt-heads butting in so I put them on surveillance at the 'Martian Landing Sight' in Princeton Junction. A great-aunt of mine is watching with a shot gun. They're shackled at the ankles. If they so much as tried to escape back to Trenton and survive my great-aunt shooting them, and I caught them anywhere near Rossini's, I was chaining them down for three days for their third date with your Grandmother and her friends."

Stephanie and her father were laughing. Even her mother was snickering at Ranger's remedy for his nosy friends.

"I said I would send someone to release them at the end of the evening," Ranger said casually taking more tiramisu from the container. "There was a 'Port-A-John' handy so I took some mercy on those three."

"Those poor men!" Stephanie swatted his shoulder laughing.

"I wanted an enjoyable, relaxing evening and with those three on the loose, we weren't going to have it. I took them out of the immediate area," he explained methodically.

"Ha!" Frank bust out. "Well, I like it. Check my cookies, Ranger."

_**XXXXXXXXXX**_

"Thank you for dinner," Stephanie said standing in the entry of her parent's house. Her date was leaving.

"You're very welcome. It was another very pleasant evening for me and humorous," Ranger chuckled. "I'll see tomorrow at 8."

Nodding, "I'll be ready." She was looking forward to the Rangeman New Year's Eve Party, but also knew she and her son would be leaving the following morning for Wilmington, so this magical interlude from her normal life would be over.

"Good Night, Babe."

This kiss was soft when their lips touched. It grew in exploration and passion and she was melted into him.

"Hmm," a deep fatherly voice broke the two of them apart. "That's some 'Good Night' kiss," Frank Plum chuckled coming down the last few steps and into the living room.

Stephanie and Ranger were laughing with their foreheads touching.

"I feel like I just got caught necking on a girl's sofa," Ranger whispered.

She ribbed him, "You did."

His lips brushed her waiting one again. "Good Night, Babe."

"Good Night, Carlos."

Turning the ignition of his sports car, Ranger felt something he hadn't felt in a long time, a smitten teenager. He ignored the tugging at his heart knowing tomorrow would be their last night together. Until he had to let Stephanie go, Carlos was going with the love-struck teenager in his thawed heart.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Thawing of a Christmas Heart**_

_**Chapter 13**_

"You're my prettiest Mommy," her son told Stephanie as she was applying the 'Burg' girl's fourth layer of mascara to her lashes in the mirror of her old bedroom.

Laying the make-up down, she knelt down beside the worn and familiar bed. "You are my best little boy," she said meeting his exact blue eyes as hers. "I want you to have a good time with Grandma and Grandpa tonight."

"I will. We got fire crackers at the hardware store. I bet you'll hear them at your party."

Reilley began laughing and squirming because his mother started tickling him. He and Woody were rolling on the bed. "I just might. I better finish because my date will be here." Thinking about the handsome, strong man coming to her parent's door soon gave her a warm feeling and smile. When she returned to Wilmington, she knew she would miss his male attention. As she fastened the gold link belt around her waist, she heard the door bell 'Ring'.

"It's Power Ranger!" Reilley jumped off the bed with his black baseball cap still on his head and went running with his best buddy. Pudding was curled on the pillow, stretched, and went scampering after his little boy.

Frank Plum opened the door. "Why are you ringing the bell? You've been here practically as much as Stephanie and Reilley. It's like you're adopted, Ranger," Frank Plum greeted. 'We even met your mother!"

"It seems like it," he chuckled handing Stephanie's father a 'New Year' gift bag. "Something for your evening."

"My wife likes your gifts and Reilley will like these." There was a small bottle of champagne he brought from the party and the bottom of the bag was filled with

confetti 'Poppers' and a few horns.

"Power Ranger! What's in there, Grandpa?" Stephanie's son asked looking in the bag.

"We got 'Poppers' and horns for our party." Frank pulled the string on one and colored streamers were falling in the entry. "Oh, what's this, Pudding?" He held up a small catnip filled bird. 'You finally got the Christmas bird!"

The cat batted it out of Mr. Plum's hand, grabbed it, and headed for the Christmas tree.

"The cat is crazy!"

"Frank, are you making a mess?" Mrs. Plum asked coming from the dining room seeing colored paper on the tile. "Hello, Ranger." When her husband handed his wife the bottle she decided to clean it up later.

"Hello, Ellen," he said but his eyes were focused on the woman making her way down the stairs. Her curls were one upon another around her face, the pale skin of her neck and the round tops of her shoulder was showing above the deep cuff of cream, the gold link belt around her waist accentuated her thinness, and the leggings how long her legs. "You're beautiful." He held up a Calla lily which meant 'beauty'.

"Thank you," she said softly taking the flower. A pinkness was rising in her cheeks with her parents looking on at them.

Edna Mazur was hustling down the steps, "Can I get a ride over to Vi's. We're meeting up there for a few hot toddies before we go down for the big New Year's Eve show. We put out our chairs at 2 in the morning yesterday so we got good seats. Its rumored Jo Jo got a new tattoo on his ass for the occasion! I don't know where, it looked pretty tattooed last year, but it's supposed to be even a more realistic face."

"Mother!"

"Oh, Ellen! Lighten up, it's New Year's Eve! I'm taking a picture this year!" Grandma nudged Ranger. "We got extra chairs if you want to watch."

His chocolate eyes pleaded with Stephanie.

"Grandma, I'm not sure what his employees have going on, but if the party is a dud, we'll show," Stephanie told her. She knew the men hired a DJ and didn't want to really go out in the cold.

"Gotcha."

"Vi's house is only a few blocks away. I'll get in the back so we can drop you off."

Edna Mazur looked out the front door seeing the shiny black Porsche at the curb.

"I get a limo, now a sports car. The girls are going to be envious wishing they were Edna Mazur."

"That's the dream of every psycho out there," Frank said to his mother-in-law.

She made a hand gesture. "Up yours."

"Mother, can't the year end pleasantly," Ellen Plum implored.

"Sure, I have warming gel upstairs he can use for a pleasant 'Up yours, Sonny."

Frank Plum was snarling down at his mother-in-law and she was clicking her false teeth up at her son-in-law. Finally, he muttered, "You're a crazy, old bat!"

"You're jealous!" She said walking out the front door.

Stephanie handed her mother her flower to put with the others and slipped into Ellen's black jacket Ranger was holding. "Have a good time, Reilley," she told her son kissing him. "Happy New Year, Mom. Happy New Year, Daddy," she said kissing them on a cheek and went out the door to catch up with her feisty Grandma.

"Have a good time, Pumpkin. Happy New Year!"

Ranger wished a 'Happy New Year' walking down the sidewalk holding Stephanie's hand. She got in the back of the Porsche and Edna Mazur's head could barely be seen in the window of the front seat.

"That's Vi's house," Grandma pointed to a detached house similar to the Plum's with a big flashing snowman in the front a street over. "Can you beep your horn so they'll catch me getting out of this?"

He beeped his horn three times trying not to laugh. By the time Ranger ran around to the passenger side at least seven or eight old ladies were gawking from the porch. He helped Grandma out and then Stephanie.

"Ain't this a pip of a way to arrive?" Grandma Mazur told her friends waving her arms like Oprah. "Thanks for the ride."

Stephanie ran up two steps to kiss her crazy, precious Grandma. "Happy New Year, Grandma!"

"Remember, we have extra seats," she called out to her granddaughter and date by the Porsche.

"Thanks," Ranger waved barely able to talk.

He couldn't hold his laughter anymore once they were in the security of his car. "Babe, she is something!"

"I know," Stephanie replied proudly.

Within minutes Ranger was parking in his normal spot, he released their locked fingers to come around to the passenger door. The elevator was open and waiting to whisk them to 5. He scrambled the camera on the hunch his three very own 'Dear Abby's' were watching.

"You look beautiful," he said softly. His long fingers were lost in the curls kissing Stephanie's warm, full lips.

"You're so handsome." Ranger decided on dark charcoal pants with an ashen shirt open at the neck and his sleeves cuffed up

It dinged for 5 and opened. A few casually dressed employees were in the hallway with dates, wives, or girlfriends.

"Come on," Ranger led Stephanie with their fingers locked to the conference room. The wall between it and a smaller room used sometimes for clients was folded and pushed into the closet so it was quite large. A DJ was arranging his equipment in a corner. There was a buffet table covered with food, party hats, and noise makers. Stephanie giggled at the disco balls hanging from the ceiling with gem colored streamers.

"I need you to do something," Ranger said choosing two crowns from the collection of hats and two banners. He directed them over to Bobby, Lester, and Tank. Their eyes were on their boss and his date. They were wondering why he had an evil smirk on his face.

"Stephanie, will you, please, tell my two associates what I did that first night at your parents' house?"

Her blue eyes questioned his and knew he was up to something. "You played 'Yahtzee' and ate pineapple upside down cake with us."

He stepped right up to Bobby and Lester. "Hear that, Miss Universe and First Runner-Up." The two crowns went on their heads and he slipped a blue banner over his cousins shoulder that read 'Miss Universe' and Bobby's was '1st Runner-Up'. "I hear everything!"

"Ranger, you caught us off guard with the new hair, 'Phil Maweeney', and then Tank said you played 'Yahtzee', what were we to think?" Lester defended them.

The big second-in-command was laughing hysterically. He stopped when the Boss shot him an eyebrow.

"I'm the Boss! Leave those on!"

"We have dates coming!" Bobby pleaded.

Ranger barked, "I'm sure they won't mind the competition."

Bobby and Lester wilted. Stephanie saw it and took pity on them. "Ranger," she whispered, in his ear "everyone should have a good time tonight. Why don't you have them wear them during work? It will have more impact with all your employees and they'll be anticipating it all night."

"You think?" he studied Stephanie's face a moment with an arched brow. "You two have to wear those during the morning meeting for the next week. Thank, Stephanie, for intervening on your behalf."

"Oh, thank you," Bobby and Lester dropped to their knees and each kissing a hand.

She was giggling at their relief. "You're welcome."

There were voices in the hallway. "Where's my Tankie? I got to see what happened to the Batman's hair!"

In thru the door stepped a big, curvy African-American woman with flashing '2011' glasses in her yellow afro. It had blue, green, and pink braided extensions swishing about. She was dressed in a hot pink spandex dress with white spotted fake fur around the neck and cuffs and silver lace-up Granny boots. Beside her, but pale by comparison was Connie Rosoli in a red sequined top.

"Lula!" Tank swept the woman in his arms.

Ranger added, "That's Tank's girlfriend in case you haven't guessed."

"No," Stephanie teased.

"Stephanie!" Connie yelled recognizing her next to the Rangeman host and running over in her high heels.

She returned her hug. "Connie, how are you?"

When the friends finished greeting each other, Stephanie watched as the 'Lula' person circled Ranger. "You're freakin' out my Tankie with this short hair, Batman! But, it does look good on you."

"Thanks, Lula," Ranger said pulling Stephanie to him. "This is Stephanie, my hair stylist."

Her dark eyes with blue eyelashes flicked Stephanie head to toe. She had never seen that good lookin' piece of man with any woman and he had a tight grip on this one. "I never expected him to cut that glorious hair, but it looks good on Batman."

"Batman?" Stephanie questioned.

"He's always dressed in those tight T-shirts so you can count all those ridges and black pants. It's just like that tight costume Batman wears in those movies and he's in and out in a flash of the bond's office. All mysterious behind those fancy shades."

Ranger could help but chuckle at Lula's impression of him.

"I could understand that," Stephanie agreed thinking about the man she met in a snow storm one week ago, "meeting Ranger a week ago. I've discovered there is a very kind man under that hard exterior." The smile she gave the man next to her melted his heart.

He kissed Stephanie in front of everyone. "Babe. I'm going to check with Ella on the party."

"OK."

She watched her date go over to his housekeeper and a man wheeling in silver tubs of ice tucked with bottles of beer, small champagne bottles, water, and soda between the sparkling cubes.

Her blood red nails clutched her hand, Connie questioned Stephanie, "How did you ever meet, Ranger?"

"He became stranded on his way from DC in the Christmas Eve storm ending up at the church, Reilley, my son, and I attend. Father Francis asked he if could sleep at our house because the church was so crowded and he didn't seem to have any Christmas spirit."

"Wow, why couldn't I have a Christmas guest that looked like that?"

Lula was listening to the conversation. "And Batman let you cut his hair?"

"Yes," Stephanie explained, "I was trimming my son's hair with the new shears I got from my Salon owner and he asked for a haircut."

"Mmmm, Mmmm. I didn't think that man could look any finer, but he looks good in short hair."

Connie was shaking her big teased hair. "Stephanie, you are one lucky woman. Just about any woman in Trenton would give up their manicure to have that man give them a second look."

"Reilley and I are going back to Wilmington tomorrow. I don't expect to see him again," Stephanie said being honest. The idea also made her sad.

"Batman, go that fancy fast car to be there in a flash. Those Batman eyes have you in his sights and traffic lights don't stop him when he's movin'. He'll be there."

"Your son, isn't Dickie Orr."

Stephanie cut her off. "Dickie has nothing to do with Reilley and me. That's how we ended it. It's only us."

Connie apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything. I just knew."

"It's OK," Stephanie assured her. "I understand both of you work for my unmentionable cousin."

"Kinky Vinnie is your cousin?"" Lula asked.

Stephanie laughed, "That's why we don't talk about him or his affliction with the rumored animals."

"It could be true about him and the duck!" Lula and Connie snicker together.

Ella and Ranger walked over to the small group. "Ella, thank you for the hat. Reilley still hasn't taken it off."

"He's so cute," she said. "Ranger told me how sweet he was and I think it's absolutely adorable he thinks all the men as Black Army Power Rangers."

"Ella, I don't know if you have ever met Lula and Connie. They work for Vinnie," Ranger introduced them to his housekeeper. It was also a ploy to steal Stephanie away.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" he asked huddling Stephanie in a corner.

"Some wine."

He poured two glasses so effortlessly on the table where the drinks were set up and Stephanie couldn't resist the large shrimp arranged over ice.

"These are yummy," she told her date holding one up to Ranger's mouth.

He bit it off nodding as he tasted the tender shrimp. Anything would taste good if Stephanie fed it to him. "Want to dance?"

A few of the Rangeman employees including Lester and his voluptuous

red-headed date with definite implants. The halter top she was wearing showed more skin than it covered.

Stephanie slipped in his arms as they took a corner of the makeshift dance floor in the back corner of the large conference room. The lights were dimmed and disco balls were sending flashes of color around the room.

"This is nice," Stephanie said just to say something. It was present in her head that her time and their time were winding down.

Ranger noticed a hint of sadness in her blue eyes and it was probably because of the same thought in his head as they slow danced. "I don't want you to go."

"I have to. Reilley and I have to return to our life in Wilmington. You are still catching up with your company I would imagine," Stephanie reasoned appealing to the logic in the businessman.

For the first time since starting Rangeman, Ranger the sensible businessman didn't care about it. "So."

"This is your company and I have clients with appointments who need their hair cut, dyed, and permed."

Stephanie was right and Ranger knew it, but he didn't like it. He couldn't help the sigh he let out in defeat on this idea, but he was the master so there was an alternate plan. "I'm behind on my year end reviews of my offices in Miami, Atlanta, and Boston. Hopefully, they will take me two weeks if I discover no major problems. When I return to Trenton, will you let me see you again? I'll drive to Wilmington so I can take you and Reilley out to dinner and anything you might want to do." He couldn't help the anxious beating his heart was doing waiting for Stephanie's answer.

She nodded. "I'd like that and so would Reilley. He's going to miss his Power Ranger."

His reply was claiming her lips.

Everyone at the Rangeman party noticed how Ranger and Stephanie were together. Where one was the other was right beside them and the only time space separated them was with a bathroom visit. Most of it was dancing on the dance floor or kissing.

Watching the countdown on the TV, it has difficult. The minutes and seconds were not only counting down on the old year, but Stephanie and Ranger's seven days since their chance meeting was ending. Midnight was a new year, but their normal lives were officially back.

The kiss at Midnight was sweet and bittersweet. "Happy New Year" each told the other mid streamers, blowing horns, and spinning Disco ball, but if Ranger and Stephanie noticed they gave no indication. It was them in the moment.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"I really don't want to let you go," Ranger whispered on the Plum's front porch walking Stephanie up from his Porsche. His forehead was resting against Stephanie's. Since the ringing in of the New Year, figures were going through Ranger's mind, he was convinced Rangeman should diversify into the salon business.

"We both have lives and commitments. I have Reilley and I can't just uproot our life. As much as I know my father would love for us to be here, the hardware store's profits would go up," Stephanie gave a half-hearted giggle to that, "and I know eventually this is where I would like to live, I can't give up my job. I have to support him."

Ranger understood, but still didn't like it. "I will come to Wilmington when I'm done with my reviews. You have my cell phone number, if you need anything, call me. I want to hear your voice," he said quietly brushing his fingers along Stephanie's cheek bone which was getting cool.

There was one last kiss before he let Stephanie go. It was tender to start, missing and longing took over, and there was hope to see each other again.

"Happy New Year, Carlos," Stephanie told Ranger with teary eyes. She gave his lips a quick kiss and went inside her parent's front door before either could think.

"Happy New Year, Stephanie." Ranger turned to go to his running Porsche. He looked back once as the porch light went off and saw her form in the glass watching him leave. Ranger wanted to run back and if need be break the door down, he didn't. The next few weeks would be long, but he had Wilmington in his view.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Standing on the sidewalk, he saw her car was packed, even with the flowers he gave her. He thought of staying away, but he couldn't. He wanted to see Stephanie again even if it was to say 'Good-bye'. His throat was tight and only got tighter when she came out with her son and carrying the cat. Her parents and Grandmother hugged both of them on the front porch. Her father reminded they would see them in a few weeks. Her son was still wearing his small Rangeman ball cap.

Pudding went into the backseat, she and Reilley walked towards him meeting Ranger by her back bumper.

"What are you doing here?"

His warm hand came up cupping her cheek. "I wanted to say 'Good-bye'. Thank you for making my New Year's Eve special."

"I had a good time, too."

Ranger knelt down tipping the brim of the small ball cap. "You and your Mommy take care of each other."

He met his mother's eyes gazing down proudly. "We're a team, Power Ranger. We stick together."

"Good and I hope I'll be seeing you soon."

"Got it," the little boy said.

Standing back up, Ranger whispered, "I'll let you go but I'm silently protesting it."

"I'll note that. It's time to go back to our everyday lives."

He nodded his dark head with short hair. "Mine is different now."

"No, just remember there is a man in here," Stephanie choked placing her gloved hand on his heart.

Not caring if her family was watching or the entire neighborhood, Ranger pulled Stephanie to him. His lips found hers. Their breaths were both coming quickly when they parted. The kiss had to last until they were together again.

Her gloved hand caressed his smooth cheek. "Bye."

"Bye, Babe."

She looked back at Ranger after buckling her son in his car seat and covered him with his favorite 'Snuggie'.

"Bye," Stephanie mouthed going around to the driver's side. She waved at her family on the porch.

Watching the Blue Baha slowly navigate down her parent's front street as he stood next to his Porsche, Carlos Manoso was missing the mother and son already. His heart was tugging at him under his black T-shirt. A week ago, this wouldn't have mattered, but it did today. He wasn't the same. He couldn't get into his sports car, drive away, and never look back. It wasn't possible for him. Ranger gave a wave to Stephanie's family before situating himself behind the steering wheel. Letting out a breath, he turned the key in the ignition, driving off knowing he would see the mother ad son again. It was what he wanted because his warm heart told him so.

_**The End.**_

After I get my other stories caught up, I may continue the next chapter pf Stephanie, Ranger, and Reilley in _**'Simple Hearts'**_.

Thank you for all your wonderful reviews and being there. Lee Anne


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